Lancelot Lake
Gladwin County, Michigan250 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Lancelot Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 34 ft max depth
- Public access
Lancelot Lake in Gladwin County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.5 µg/L. Surface area: 250 acres.
Lancelot Lake is a 250-acre mesotrophic lake in Gladwin County, Michigan with an estimated average depth of about 34 feet. 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. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lancelot Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lancelot Lake 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 Lancelot Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Lancelot Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9 ft. Phosphorus 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.5 µg/L. TSI 44.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 15µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 44 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Lancelot Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
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.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (62°F) to its warmest (75°F).
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
Max depth
~34 ft est.
Surface area
250 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
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
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.6 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
837 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
- 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
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lancelot Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Lancelot Lake
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Follow Lancelot Lake’s readings
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Fishing Lancelot Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2016–2023).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.55 µg/L/yr7 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.73 µg/L/yr7 years
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)
Nearby Lakes in Gladwin County
Frequently asked questions about Lancelot Lake
Where is Lancelot Lake?
- Lancelot Lake is a lake in Gladwin County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lancelot Lake?
- Lancelot Lake in Gladwin County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. 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?
- Nutrient and algae readings are 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.
Can I fish at Lancelot Lake?
- Lancelot Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Michigan's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Lancelot Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Michigan
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Michigan's top lakes, each with its readings
Michigan's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Other 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)
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)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory