Legion Lake
Alger County, Michigan36 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Legion Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 35 ft max depth
Legion Lake in Alger County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17 µg/L. Maximum depth: 35 ft. Surface area: 35.9 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Legion Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 35 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Legion Lake is a 36-acre mesotrophic lake in Alger County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 35 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 7 other monitored lakes in Alger County, Legion Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2024-08-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Legion Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Deep water35 ft surveyed max depth
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 Legion 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 Legion Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Legion 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 9.1 ft. Phosphorus 17 µg/L. TSI 45.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 9.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 17µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| 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. | 45 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Legion Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Legion Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 61°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 63°F) and coldest in Jun (about 57°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (57°F) to its warmest (63°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 737 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Legion Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
35 ft
Surface area
36 acres
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Legion Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Legion Lake in Alger 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 Legion Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Michigan’s top lakes →
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Fishing Legion Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 9 years of monitoring (2016–2024).
Water clarity
Stable9 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+2.28 µg/L/yr8 years
Nearby Lakes in Alger County
Frequently asked questions about Legion Lake
Where is Legion Lake?
- Legion Lake is a lake in Alger County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Legion Lake?
- Legion Lake in Alger County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17 µg/L. Maximum depth: 35 ft. Surface area: 35.9 acres.
Is Legion 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 Legion Lake?
- Legion Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in August, from 737 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Legion Lake?
- Legion Lake has a maximum depth of 35 feet. The lake covers 35.9 acres.
Explore Legion Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Alger County
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Planning a trip around Pictured Rocks?
Legion Lake is about 3 miles from Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Pictured Rocks →More lakes in Michigan
Other Lakes in Michigan
Mesotrophic Lakes in Michigan
Where this data comes from
54 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- National Park Service Water Resources Division
11NPSWRD_WQX54 samples · 2016–2024
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.