Murray Lake
Kent County, Michigan313 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
↑ up from B at the last regrade
- Mesotrophic
- #5 of 10 in the county
Murray Lake in Kent County, Michigan has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.9 µg/L. Surface area: 312.5 acres.
- Clarity
- 9 ft
- Typical in September
- 56°F
- Area
- 313 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 12 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 2.9 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Watch Murray Lake’s letter
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Murray Lake is a 313-acre mesotrophic lake in Kent County, Michigan. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2023. 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. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Murray Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing29 species recorded
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 A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9 ft. Phosphorus 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.9 µg/L. TSI 42. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 12 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.9 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 42 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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.
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
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 313 acres |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Murray Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Murray Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 7 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.064 m/yr | 7 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | +0.14 µg/L/yr | 7 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.38 µg/L/yr | 7 |
County Ranking
Ranked #5 of 10 lakes in Kent County
Nearby Lakes in Kent County
Frequently asked questions about Murray Lake
Where is Murray Lake?
- Murray Lake is a lake in Kent County, Michigan. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Murray Lake?
- Murray Lake in Kent County, Michigan has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). 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?
- The A is nutrients and algae, 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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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)
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.