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LakeQuality

Larks Lake

Emmet County, Michigan592 acresView mapDirections

NR
Not rated

Not enough samples to grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). No letter yet. Here is what we do have.

Water temp
~54°F
Typical for Oct · EPA WQP
Clarity
No reading
No sample
Max depth
9 ft
Bathymetric survey
Level
No reading
No gauge
Trend
Improving
2 years of samples
  • 9 ft max depth
  • Limited data

Larks Lake in Emmet County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Phosphorus: 12.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 9 ft. Surface area: 591.5 acres.

Typical in October
54°F
Max depth
9 ft
Area
592 acres
Phosphorus
12.3 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a
4.6 µg/L
Trend
Improving
Loading map…

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Stays near Larks Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Larks Lake in Emmet 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.

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Watch Larks Lake’s letter

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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.

Why Larks Lake has no grade

We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Larks Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a), but not water clarity.

Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. 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.

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. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

Swimming Safety

Not rated

Limited data

The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Traverse City

Get alerts for Larks Lake

Water quality measurements for Larks Lake

These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.

No clarity data. Phosphorus 12.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.6 µg/L. TSI 43.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)No recent samples
Phosphorus12.3 µg/LNot graded
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)4.6 µg/LNot graded
Trophic State Index (TSI)43Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

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.

Jan
Feb
39°
Mar
Apr
May
64°
Jun
Jul
76°
Aug
Sep
Oct
54°
Nov
Dec

Typical surface water temperature by month, from 9 field readings (20152021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Larks Lake water temperature breakdown →

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth9 ft
Surface Area592 acres

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
5 sq mi
Shoreline
3.8 mi
Elevation
715 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Fishing Larks Lake

Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Phosphorus Improving-3.8 µg/L/yr2
Chlorophyll-a Improving-1.5 µg/L/yr2

Graded lakes near Larks Lake

Larks Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.

Nearby Lakes in Emmet County

Frequently asked questions about Larks Lake

Where is Larks Lake?

Larks Lake is a lake in Emmet County, Michigan. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).

What is the water quality grade for Larks Lake?

Larks Lake in Emmet County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. 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?

The letter is 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.

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 IndiansLTBBWATR_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)

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)