Lancelot Lake
Gladwin County, Michigan250 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
↑ up from B at the last regrade
- Mesotrophic
- #2 of 5 in the county
- 34 ft max depth
- Public access
Lancelot Lake in Gladwin County, Michigan has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.5 µg/L. Surface area: 250 acres.
- Clarity
- 9 ft
- Typical in September
- 70°F
- Max depth
- ~34 ft est.
- Area
- 250 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 15 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 3.5 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Lancelot Lake’s letter
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Lancelot Lake is a 250-acre mesotrophic lake in Gladwin County, Michigan with an estimated average depth of about 34 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2023. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 4 other monitored lakes in Gladwin County, Lancelot Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2023-09-11. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lancelot Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9 ft. Phosphorus 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.5 µg/L. TSI 44. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 15 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.5 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 44 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Water Temperature
Lancelot Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 75°F) and coldest in May (about 62°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 256 field readings (2013–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lancelot Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~34 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~10 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 250 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Michigan has not published bathymetry for Lancelot Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
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
- Butman RoadPublic
- Lake Lancer - 3Semi-private
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Lancelot Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 7 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.827 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.55 µg/L/yr | 7 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.73 µg/L/yr | 7 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lancelot Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Lancelot Dam (completed 1976), built primarily for recreation on the Tributary to Sugar River; earth-type dam, 17 ft tall and 1,400 ft long.
- Surface area
- 250 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,950 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,100 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 4.9 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Gladwin County Drain Commissioner
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MI00488 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.64 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 5 lakes in Gladwin County
Nearby Lakes in Gladwin County
Frequently asked questions about Lancelot Lake
Where is Lancelot Lake?
- Lancelot Lake is a lake in Gladwin County, Michigan. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Lancelot Lake?
- Lancelot Lake in Gladwin County, Michigan has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.5 µg/L. Surface area: 250 acres.
Is Lancelot Lake safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Lancelot Lake?
- Lancelot Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September, from 256 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2013–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Lancelot Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lancelot Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 34 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 250 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Lancelot Lake?
- Lancelot Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Butman Road, Lake Lancer - 3. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Lancelot Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and top-graded lakes across Michigan
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Michigan's top lakes, each with its grade
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Michigan's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
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Other Grade A Lakes in Michigan
Mesotrophic Lakes in Michigan
Where this data comes from
99 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Michigan EGLE - MiCorps
21MICH_MICORPS99 samples · 2016–2023
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory