Lake Orion
Oakland County, Michigan470 acresView mapDirections
Not Rated: one monitoring station are on record, but they measured water clarity only. LakeQuality’s A–F method grades total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity; clarity is shown, not scored.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 80 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Orion in Oakland County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 13 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 80 ft. Surface area: 470 acres.
- Clarity
- 13 ft
- Max depth
- 80 ft
- Area
- 470 acres
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Lake Orion
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Watch Lake Orion’s letter
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Why Lake Orion has no grade
Lake Orion has monitoring on record from one station, but only water clarity was measured. LakeQuality’s A–F letter uses total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity against EPA National Lakes Assessment condition classes. With none of those grading measurements on record, Lake Orion is Not Rated — not an F. Its 13-foot median from 90 readings collected 2016–2022 is still shown as clarity, but clarity alone cannot earn a letter.
Not Rated is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by EGLE and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Lake Orion is a 470-acre lake in Oakland County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 80 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-09-14. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lake Orion is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water13 ft of visibility
- Deep water80 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Lake Orion is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pesticides, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Lake Orion
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Good clarity, visible to about 13 ft. TSI 40.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 13 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 40 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 80 ft |
| Surface Area | 470 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Fishing Lake Orion
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 7 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.136 m/yr | 7 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +1.3 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | +0.01 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Orion is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Orion Dam (completed 1829), built primarily for other on the Paint Creek; gravity-type dam, 18 ft tall and 760 ft long.
- Surface area
- 470 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,800 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 3,600 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 37 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Village of Lake Orion
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MI00259 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Orion is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040900030105-02 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Lake Orion under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 2 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Lake Orion Ps MS4-OaklandLake Orion · 2 mi away · NPDES MI0059903Recent violation
- Orion Twp MS4-OaklandLake Orion · 2.3 mi away · NPDES MI0060156Recent violation
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Graded lakes near Lake Orion
Lake Orion has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Oakland County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Orion
Where is Lake Orion?
- Lake Orion is a lake in Oakland County, Michigan. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity.
What is the water quality grade for Lake Orion?
- Lake Orion in Oakland County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 13 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 80 ft. Surface area: 470 acres.
Is Lake Orion safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Lake Orion is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pesticides, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Orion?
- Lake Orion has a maximum depth of 80 feet. The lake covers 470 acres.
Explore Lake Orion across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
90 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS90 samples · 2016–2022
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)