Little Paw Paw Lake
Berrien County, Michigan101 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
- Limited data
Little Paw Paw Lake in Berrien County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Surface area: 100.6 acres.
- Clarity
- 4 ft
- Area
- 101 acres
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
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Watch Little Paw Paw Lake’s letter
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Why Little Paw Paw Lake has no grade
Little Paw Paw 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, Little Paw Paw Lake is Not Rated — not an F. Its 4-foot median from 88 readings collected 2016–2021 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.
Little Paw Paw Lake is a 101-acre lake in Berrien County, Michigan. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 1 documented fish species including Lake herring.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2021-09-15. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Little Paw Paw Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pFAS. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Little Paw Paw Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Murky, only visible to about 4 ft. TSI 57.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 4 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 57 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 101 acres |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Little Paw Paw Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Paw Paw Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.276 m/yr | 6 |
EPA Impairment Status
Little Paw Paw Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040500012505-01 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.22 km)
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Little Paw Paw Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Orchard Hill Landfill-WatervlietWatervliet · 3.4 mi away · NPDES MI0058853Recent violation
- Bp Products North America IncWatervliet · 3 mi away · NPDES MIG080170
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Graded lakes near Little Paw Paw Lake
Little Paw Paw Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Berrien County
Frequently asked questions about Little Paw Paw Lake
Where is Little Paw Paw Lake?
- Little Paw Paw Lake is a lake in Berrien 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 Little Paw Paw Lake?
- Little Paw Paw Lake in Berrien County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Surface area: 100.6 acres.
Is Little Paw Paw Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Little Paw Paw Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pFAS. Check local advisories before you swim.
What fish are in Little Paw Paw Lake?
- Fish species found in Little Paw Paw Lake include Lake herring. Little Paw Paw Lake is located in Berrien County, Michigan.
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Where this data comes from
88 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS88 samples · 2016–2021
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)