Lake Templene
St. Joseph County, Michigan870 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.
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Templene in St. Joseph County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 6.5 ft visibility. Surface area: 870 acres.
- Clarity
- 6.5 ft
- Area
- 870 acres
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Lake Templene
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Watch Lake Templene’s letter
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Why Lake Templene has no grade
Lake Templene 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 Templene is Not Rated — not an F. Its 6.5-foot median from 17 readings collected 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 Templene is a 870-acre lake in St. Joseph County, Michigan. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-09-16. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Lake Templene
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Murky, only visible to about 6.5 ft. TSI 50.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 6.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 50 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 870 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake Templene, so its depth is not documented here.
Fishing Lake Templene
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +1.36 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -6 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +5.9 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Templene is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Templene Dam (completed 1972), built primarily for recreation on the Prairie River; earth-type dam, 18 ft tall and 850 ft long.
- Surface area
- 870 ac
- Normal storage
- 5,225 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 8,550 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 111 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Lake Templene POA
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MI00470 · Operator website
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Lake Templene under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Lear Corp-MendonMendon · 3.5 mi away · NPDES MI0004006
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 Templene
Lake Templene has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in St. Joseph County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Templene
Where is Lake Templene?
- Lake Templene is a lake in St. Joseph 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 Templene?
- Lake Templene in St. Joseph County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 6.5 ft visibility. Surface area: 870 acres.
Is Lake Templene safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Lake Templene across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
17 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS17 samples · 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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)