Larks Lake
Emmet County, Michigan592 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Larks Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 9 ft max depth
- Limited data
Larks Lake in Emmet County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 12.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 9 ft. Surface area: 591.5 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Larks Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 9 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Larks Lake is a 592-acre lake in Emmet County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 9 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2021-10-20. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Larks 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 Larks Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Larks Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 12.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.6 µg/L. TSI 43.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 12.3µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.6µg/L | Measured, not scored 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. | 43 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Larks Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Larks Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 76°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in Feb (about 39°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (39°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 9 field readings (2015–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Larks Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
9 ft
Surface area
592 acres
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
5 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
3.8 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
715 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Larks Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Larks Lake
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Fishing Larks Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2018–2021). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Phosphorus
Improving-3.8 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-1.5 µg/L/yr2 years
Nearby Lakes in Emmet County
Frequently asked questions about Larks Lake
Where is Larks Lake?
- Larks Lake is a lake in Emmet County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Larks Lake?
- Larks Lake in Emmet County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 12.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 9 ft. Surface area: 591.5 acres.
Is Larks 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 Larks Lake?
- Larks Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in October, from 9 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2015–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Larks Lake?
- Larks Lake has a maximum depth of 9 feet. The lake covers 591.5 acres.
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Where this data comes from
14 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2018–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians
LTBBWATR_WQX14 samples · 2018–2021
Analytical methods
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- 4500 P F ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry Automated Ascorbic Acid Method
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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)