Lake Whittlesey
Keweenaw County, Michigan151 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Whittlesey. Here is what has been measured.
- 45 ft max depth
- Limited data
Lake Whittlesey in Keweenaw County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 23.3 µg/L. Surface area: 151.3 acres.
Lake Whittlesey is a 151-acre lake in Keweenaw County, Michigan with an estimated average depth of about 45 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 8 documented fish species including Blacknose shiner, Northern pike, and Shortjaw cisco.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2024-08-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lake Whittlesey is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11.6 ft of visibility
- Fishing8 species recorded
- Camping1 public campground nearby
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Whittlesey is safe to swim in today is a call for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Lake Whittlesey
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Lake Whittlesey, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 11.6 ft. Phosphorus 23.3 µg/L. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 23.3µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Lake Whittlesey
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lake Whittlesey typically sits around 64°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 67°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 70°F) and coldest in Jun (about 62°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (62°F) to its warmest (70°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 79 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lake Whittlesey water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~45 ft est.
Surface area
151 acres
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Michigan has not published bathymetry for Lake Whittlesey.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
0 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
4 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
666 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
Public campgrounds near Lake Whittlesey
- Lake Whittlesey1.4 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Whittlesey
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Whittlesey in Keweenaw County, Michigan — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Lake Whittlesey
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Michigan’s top lakes →
Follow Lake Whittlesey’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Lake Whittlesey
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 9 years of monitoring (2016–2024).
Water clarity
Stable9 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+2.15 µg/L/yr8 years
Nearby Lakes in Keweenaw County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Whittlesey
Where is Lake Whittlesey?
- Lake Whittlesey is a lake in Keweenaw County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Whittlesey?
- Lake Whittlesey in Keweenaw County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 23.3 µg/L. Surface area: 151.3 acres.
Is Lake Whittlesey safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Lake Whittlesey?
- Lake Whittlesey typically sits around 64°F at the surface in September, from 79 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Lake Whittlesey?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Whittlesey, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 45 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 151.3 acres.
What fish are in Lake Whittlesey?
- Fish species found in Lake Whittlesey include Blacknose shiner, Northern pike, Shortjaw cisco, Spottail shiner, Trout-perch, Walleye, White sucker, Yellow perch. Lake Whittlesey is located in Keweenaw County, Michigan.
Are there campgrounds on Lake Whittlesey?
- Lake Whittlesey has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Lake Whittlesey. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Lake Whittlesey across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
6 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- National Park Service Water Resources Division
11NPSWRD_WQX6 samples · 2023–2024
Analytical methods
- Secchi Disk
- Alkaline Persulfate Digestion for Total N and P in Water
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles