Manitou Lake
Leelanau County, Michigan256 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae sit in the clean band for this region.
↓ down from A at the last regrade
- Mesotrophic
- #12 of 12 in the county
- 57 ft max depth
Manitou Lake in Leelanau County, Michigan has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 13.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13.1 µg/L. Surface area: 256.1 acres.
- Clarity
- 13.3 ft
- Typical in September
- 65°F
- Max depth
- ~57 ft est.
- Area
- 256 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 13.1 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Stays near Manitou Lake
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Watch Manitou Lake’s letter
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Manitou Lake is a 256-acre mesotrophic lake in Leelanau County, Michigan with an estimated average depth of about 57 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 11 other monitored lakes in Leelanau County, Manitou Lake ranks #12 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2024-09-04. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Manitou Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water13.3 ft of visibility
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Good clarity, visible to about 13.3 ft. Phosphorus 13.1 µg/L. TSI 41. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 13.3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 13.1 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 41 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Water Temperature
Manitou Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 65°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 66°F) and coldest in Jun (about 62°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 830 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Manitou Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~57 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~20 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 256 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Michigan has not published bathymetry for Manitou Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
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.
Fishing Manitou Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 9 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.067 m/yr | 9 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +1.61 µg/L/yr | 8 |
County Ranking
Ranked #12 of 12 lakes in Leelanau County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Manitou Lake holds Grade B. 2 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Leelanau County
Frequently asked questions about Manitou Lake
Where is Manitou Lake?
- Manitou Lake is a lake in Leelanau County, Michigan. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Manitou Lake?
- Manitou Lake in Leelanau County, Michigan has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 13.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13.1 µg/L. Surface area: 256.1 acres.
Is Manitou Lake safe to swim in?
- The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Manitou Lake?
- Manitou Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September, from 830 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Manitou Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Manitou Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 57 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 256.1 acres.
Explore Manitou Lake across LakeQuality
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Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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Planning a trip around Sleeping Bear Dunes?
Manitou Lake is about 14 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
Other Grade B Lakes in Michigan
Mesotrophic Lakes in Michigan
Where this data comes from
51 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- National Park Service Water Resources Division
11NPSWRD_WQX51 samples · 2016–2024
Analytical methods
- Secchi Disk
- Alkaline Persulfate Digestion for Total N and P in Water
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)