Lily Lake
Clare County, Michigan191 acresView mapDirections
Not Rated: one monitoring station are on record, but they measured water clarity only. LakeQuality’s A–F method grades total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity; clarity is shown, not scored.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 8 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lily Lake in Clare County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 8 ft. Surface area: 190.5 acres.
- Clarity
- 8 ft
- Max depth
- 8 ft
- Area
- 191 acres
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Lily Lake
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Watch Lily Lake’s letter
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Free interactive depth-contour map of Lily Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 8 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Why Lily Lake has no grade
Lily Lake has monitoring on record from one station, but only water clarity was measured. LakeQuality’s A–F letter uses total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity against EPA National Lakes Assessment condition classes. With none of those grading measurements on record, Lily Lake is Not Rated — not an F. Its 8-foot median from 23 readings collected 2019–2022 is still shown as clarity, but clarity alone cannot earn a letter.
Not Rated is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. 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.
Lily Lake is a 191-acre lake in Clare County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 8 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-09-12. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lily Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Lily Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Lily Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8 ft. TSI 47.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 47 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 8 ft |
| Surface Area | 191 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Recreation & Access
- Lily LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Lily Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.353 m/yr | 3 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.57 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.8 µg/L/yr | 3 |
EPA Impairment Status
Lily Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040601020501-03 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Lily Lake
Lily Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Clare County
Frequently asked questions about Lily Lake
Where is Lily Lake?
- Lily Lake is a lake in Clare County, Michigan. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity.
What is the water quality grade for Lily Lake?
- Lily Lake in Clare County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 8 ft. Surface area: 190.5 acres.
Is Lily Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Lily Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lily Lake?
- Lily Lake has a maximum depth of 8 feet. The lake covers 190.5 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Lily Lake?
- Lily Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lily Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
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Where this data comes from
23 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2019–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS23 samples · 2019–2022
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory