Murray Lake
Kent County, Michigan313 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Murray Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
Murray Lake in Kent County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.9 µg/L. Surface area: 312.5 acres.
Murray Lake is a 313-acre mesotrophic lake in Kent County, Michigan. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 29 documented fish species including Black crappie, Blackchin shiner, and Blacknose shiner. Compared to the 9 other monitored lakes in Kent County, Murray Lake ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2023-09-18. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Murray Lake covers about 310 acres in Kent County. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Murray Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Murray Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing29 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Murray 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 Murray Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Murray Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9 ft. Phosphorus 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.9 µg/L. TSI 42.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 12µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.9µg/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. | 42 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Murray Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Murray Lake typically sits around 56°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 55°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 56°F) and coldest in May (about 48°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (48°F) to its warmest (56°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 717 field readings (2010–2019) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Murray Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
313 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Murray Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Murray Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Murray Lake in Kent 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 Murray Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Michigan’s top lakes →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Murray Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2016–2023).
Water clarity
Stable7 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.14 µg/L/yr7 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.38 µg/L/yr7 years
Nearby Lakes in Kent County
Frequently asked questions about Murray Lake
Where is Murray Lake?
- Murray Lake is a lake in Kent County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Murray Lake?
- Murray Lake in Kent County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.9 µg/L. Surface area: 312.5 acres.
Is Murray 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 Murray Lake?
- Murray Lake typically sits around 56°F at the surface in September, from 717 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2019). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
What fish are in Murray Lake?
- Fish species found in Murray Lake include Black crappie, Blackchin shiner, Blacknose shiner, Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Bowfin, Brook silverside, Brown bullhead, Golden shiner, Grass pickerel, Green sunfish, Iowa darter, Johnny darter, Lake chubsucker, Lake herring, Largemouth bass, Least darter, Mimic shiner, Northern longear sunfish, Northern pike, Pugnose shiner, Pumpkinseed, Rock bass, Sand shiner, Spotfin shiner, Warmouth, Western banded killifish, White sucker, Yellow perch. Murray Lake is located in Kent County, Michigan.
Explore Murray Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Kent County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Michigan's top lakes, each with its readings
Michigan's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Mesotrophic Lakes in Michigan
Where this data comes from
155 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Michigan EGLE - MiCorps
21MICH_MICORPS155 samples · 2016–2023
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
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.