Lower Herring Lake
Benzie County, Michigan446 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.
- 50 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lower Herring Lake in Benzie County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 13 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 50 ft. Surface area: 445.8 acres.
- Clarity
- 13 ft
- Max depth
- 50 ft
- Area
- 446 acres
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Lower Herring Lake’s letter
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Free interactive depth-contour map of Lower Herring Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 50 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Why Lower Herring Lake has no grade
Lower Herring 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, Lower Herring Lake is Not Rated — not an F. Its 13-foot median from 30 readings collected 2016–2022 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.
Lower Herring Lake is a 446-acre lake in Benzie County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 50 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 25 documented fish species including Black crappie, Bluegill, and Bluntnose minnow. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-09-06. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lower Herring Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water13 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing25 species recorded
- Deep water50 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Lower Herring Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Good clarity, visible to about 13 ft. TSI 40.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 13 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 40 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 50 ft |
| Surface Area | 446 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Recreation & Access
- Lower Herring LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Lower Herring Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +1.22 m/yr | 3 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.55 µg/L/yr | 3 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.07 µg/L/yr | 4 |
Graded lakes near Lower Herring Lake
Lower Herring Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Benzie County
Frequently asked questions about Lower Herring Lake
Where is Lower Herring Lake?
- Lower Herring Lake is a lake in Benzie 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 Lower Herring Lake?
- Lower Herring Lake in Benzie County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 13 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 50 ft. Surface area: 445.8 acres.
Is Lower Herring Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lower Herring Lake?
- Lower Herring Lake has a maximum depth of 50 feet. The lake covers 445.8 acres.
What fish are in Lower Herring Lake?
- Fish species found in Lower Herring Lake include Black crappie, Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Brown bullhead, Common shiner, Creek chub, Emerald shiner, Iowa darter, Johnny darter, Mimic shiner, Northern logperch, Northern longear sunfish, Northern pike, Pumpkinseed, Rock bass, Sand shiner, Smallmouth bass, Spottail shiner, Trout-perch, Walleye, Western banded killifish, White bass, White sucker, Yellow bullhead, Yellow perch. Lower Herring Lake is located in Benzie County, Michigan.
Are there boat ramps on Lower Herring Lake?
- Lower Herring Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lower Herring Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Lower Herring Lake across LakeQuality
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Planning a trip around Sleeping Bear Dunes?
Lower Herring Lake is about 27 miles from Sleeping Bear Dunes 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 Sleeping Bear Dunes →More Michigan Lake Rankings
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Where this data comes from
30 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS30 samples · 2016–2022
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory