Manistee Lake South
Manistee County, MichiganView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Manistee Lake South. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 40 ft max depth
- Public access
Manistee Lake South in Manistee County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 18.2 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 0.5 µg/L.
Manistee Lake South is a cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Manistee County, Michigan with an estimated average depth of about 40 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 7 documented fish species including Chestnut lamprey, Flathead catfish, and Golden shiner. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 12 other monitored lakes in Manistee County, Manistee Lake South ranks #12 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2026-06-08. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Manistee Lake South has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Manistee Lake South, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Manistee Lake South is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing7 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyBacteria advisory
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. Manistee Lake South is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, pathogens (E. coli, fecal), pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Manistee Lake South 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 Manistee Lake South
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Manistee Lake South, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 18.2 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 0.5 µg/L. TSI 35.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 18.2µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 0.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 35 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Manistee Lake South
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Manistee Lake South typically sits around 56°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 69°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 71°F) and coldest in Feb (about 34°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (34°F) to its warmest (71°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 1,268 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Manistee Lake South water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~40 ft est.
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Michigan has not published bathymetry for Manistee Lake South.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1,937 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
981 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
10.8 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
571 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- 2nd AvenuePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Manistee Lake South
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Top-rated places to stay near Manistee Lake South
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Manistee Lake South
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 9 years of monitoring (2016–2025).
Phosphorus
Improving-1.57 µg/L/yr9 years
Chlorophyll-a
0 µg/L/yr9 years
EPA Impairment Status
Manistee Lake South is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040601030705-01 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
4 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Manistee Lake South under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 3 classified by the EPA as major dischargers. 3 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Manistee WwtpManistee · 0.8 mi away · NPDES MI0020362MajorRecent violation
- Martin Marietta Magnesia Specialties Co., LlcManistee · 0.8 mi away · NPDES MI0004154MajorRecent violation
- Pca-Filer City MillFiler City · 1.3 mi away · NPDES MI0001171MajorRecent violation
- General Chem Corp-ManisteeManistee · 0.3 mi away · NPDES MI0054992
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.
Nearby Lakes in Manistee County
Frequently asked questions about Manistee Lake South
Where is Manistee Lake South?
- Manistee Lake South is a lake in Manistee County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Manistee Lake South?
- Manistee Lake South in Manistee County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 18.2 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 0.5 µg/L.
Is Manistee Lake South safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Manistee Lake South is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, pathogens (E. coli, fecal), pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Manistee Lake South?
- Manistee Lake South typically sits around 56°F at the surface in October, from 1,268 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Manistee Lake South?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Manistee Lake South, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 40 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
What fish are in Manistee Lake South?
- Fish species found in Manistee Lake South include Chestnut lamprey, Flathead catfish, Golden shiner, Iowa darter, Northern logperch, Rock bass, Western banded killifish. Manistee Lake South is located in Manistee County, Michigan.
Are there boat ramps on Manistee Lake South?
- Manistee Lake South has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include 2nd Avenue. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Manistee Lake South?
- Manistee Lake South has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Michigan's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Manistee Lake South across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
855 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Little River Band of Ottawa Indians
LRBOI_WQX855 samples · 2016–2026
Analytical methods
- 4500 P F ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry Automated Ascorbic Acid Method
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
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.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory