Where is Manistique Lake?

Manistique Lake is a lake in Mackinac County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.

Are there boat ramps on Manistique Lake?

Manistique Lake has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Cooks Bay, Saw-Wa-Quato Street, Log Cabin Resort and Campground. Public access is listed as yes.

Can I fish at Manistique Lake?

Manistique Lake has 3 documented boat landings 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.

Manistique Lake

Mackinac County, Michigan10,354 acresView map Directions

No nutrient or algae sampling on record from EGLE for this lake.

Area

10,354 acres

Surface area

Shoreline

1.1 mi

Measured length

Impaired · Mercury
Public access

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Manistique Lake in Mackinac County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Surface area: 10353.5 acres.

Loading map…

Water clarity at Manistique Lake

Moderate clarity. Across summers from 2018 to 2023, Manistique Lake averaged 2.7 m (9 ft) of visibility down into the water, so visibility is middling in midsummer, which is ordinary for a productive inland lake. This lake sits close to the line between clarity classes, so treat the label as approximate and the depth reading as the real number.

Nobody has taken a water sample here that we can find. Michigan's environmental agency measures clarity on lakes like this one from satellite images instead, which is why this page reports how clear the water is and no phosphorus or algae readings.

Clear is not the same as clean. A lake can be easy to see through and still carry high nutrient levels, and a naturally tea-stained lake can be perfectly healthy. The nutrient and algae readings on other lakes come from phosphorus and chlorophyll-a measured in a laboratory, and clarity alone cannot stand in for them.

The same satellite images put summer algae here at roughly 5.22 micrograms per litre. Estimating algae from orbit is far less exact than measuring clarity, so that figure is worth knowing and is not part of any rating.

Manistique Lake is a 10,354-acre lake in Mackinac County, Michigan. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 3 public boat landings.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Manistique Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Boat launch3 documented ramps
Big water10,354 acres

Swimming conditions

No reading

Not rated

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Manistique Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether Manistique 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.

Compare swimming lakes near Traverse City →

Get alerts for Manistique Lake →

Water quality measurements for Manistique Lake

These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Manistique Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.

No clarity data. TSI undefined.

Ask about Manistique Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

Lake Details

Average depth

Not documented

Surface area

10,354 acres

Shoreline

1.1 mi

Public access

Yes

Listed by EGLE

The published depth figures for Manistique Lake contradict each other, so no depth is shown.

Recreation & Access

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

Cooks BayPublic
Saw-Wa-Quato StreetPublic
Log Cabin Resort and CampgroundSemi-private

Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps

Stays via Stay22

Stays near Manistique Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Manistique Lake in Mackinac 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 Manistique Lake

Prices for Oct 16–18, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.

Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.

Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Manistique Lake → · more Michigan lake trips

Follow Manistique Lake’s readings

Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.

Or email

Fishing Manistique Lake

→ Manistique Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

EPA Impairment Status

Manistique Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).

Causes of impairment

Mercury

Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040601060103-03 · Official waterbody report

Nearby Lakes in Mackinac County

Shoepac Lake4.1 miView →South Manistique Lake4.5 miView →Little Mud Lake3.4 miView →Black Creek Flooding3.7 miView →Stuart Lake4.4 miView →Lilly Lake—View →

Frequently asked questions about Manistique Lake

Where is Manistique Lake?: Manistique Lake is a lake in Mackinac County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Manistique Lake?: Manistique Lake in Mackinac County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Surface area: 10353.5 acres.
Is Manistique Lake safe to swim in?: Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Manistique Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Manistique Lake?: The published depth figures for Manistique Lake contradict each other, so no depth is shown. The lake covers 10353.5 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Manistique Lake?: Manistique Lake has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Cooks Bay, Saw-Wa-Quato Street, Log Cabin Resort and Campground. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Manistique Lake?: Manistique Lake has 3 documented boat landings 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.