Monocle Lake
Chippewa County, Michigan174 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Monocle Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 55 ft max depth
- Limited data
Monocle Lake in Chippewa County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 55 ft. Surface area: 173.5 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Monocle Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 55 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Monocle Lake is a 174-acre lake in Chippewa County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 55 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including Brown bullhead, Johnny darter, and Lake herring.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2023-09-18. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Monocle Lake covers about 170 acres in Chippewa County. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Monocle Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Monocle Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water16 ft of visibility
- Fishing13 species recorded
- Camping2 public campgrounds nearby
- Deep water55 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Monocle 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.
Water quality measurements for Monocle Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Monocle Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 16 ft down. TSI 37.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 16ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 37 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Monocle Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Monocle Lake typically sits around 57°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 65°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 68°F) and coldest in Feb (about 35°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (35°F) to its warmest (68°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 217 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Monocle Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
55 ft
Surface area
174 acres
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
2 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
614 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
Public campgrounds near Monocle Lake
- Monocle Lake Recreation Area0.3 km
- Monocle Lake0.3 kmReserve
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Monocle Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Monocle Lake in Chippewa 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 Monocle Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 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 whole trip? See where to stay at Michigan’s top lakes →
Follow Monocle Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Monocle Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 10 years of monitoring (2016–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening2 years
Phosphorus
Improving-3.11 µg/L/yr9 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+2.84 µg/L/yr3 years
Nearby Lakes in Chippewa County
Frequently asked questions about Monocle Lake
Where is Monocle Lake?
- Monocle Lake is a lake in Chippewa County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Monocle Lake?
- Monocle Lake in Chippewa County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 55 ft. Surface area: 173.5 acres.
Is Monocle Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Monocle Lake?
- Monocle Lake typically sits around 57°F at the surface in October, from 217 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Monocle Lake?
- Monocle Lake has a maximum depth of 55 feet. The lake covers 173.5 acres.
What fish are in Monocle Lake?
- Fish species found in Monocle Lake include Brown bullhead, Johnny darter, Lake herring, Mimic shiner, Northern logperch, Northern pike, Pumpkinseed, Rock bass, Smallmouth bass, Spottail shiner, Walleye, White sucker, Yellow perch. Monocle Lake is located in Chippewa County, Michigan.
Are there campgrounds on Monocle Lake?
- Monocle Lake has 2 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Monocle Lake Recreation Area, Monocle Lake. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Monocle Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
2 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Eastern Regional Office
USFSEASTERN2 samples · 2021–2023
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles