Nichols Lake
Newaygo County, Michigan154 acresView mapDirections
No nutrient or algae sampling on record from EGLE for this lake.
- 50 ft max depth
- Public access
Nichols Lake in Newaygo County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 50 ft. Surface area: 153.5 acres.
Water clarity at Nichols Lake
Clear water. Across summers from 2018 to 2023, Nichols Lake averaged 4.39 m (14 ft) of visibility down into the water, so you can typically see several feet down in midsummer.
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 2.8 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.
Nichols Lake is a 154-acre lake in Newaygo County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 50 feet (16-foot average). Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Nichols Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Camping2 public campgrounds nearby
- Deep water50 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingNot rated
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Nichols 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 Nichols Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Nichols 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 Nichols Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
50 ft
Average depth
16 ft
Surface area
154 acres
Shoreline
1 mi
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
Recreation & Access
- Nichols Lake (South)Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Nichols Lake
- Nichols Lake Recreation Area0.4 km
- Nichols Lake South Campground0.5 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 Nichols Lake
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Fishing Nichols Lake
Nearby Lakes in Newaygo County
Frequently asked questions about Nichols Lake
Where is Nichols Lake?
- Nichols Lake is a lake in Newaygo County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Nichols Lake?
- Nichols Lake in Newaygo County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 50 ft. Surface area: 153.5 acres.
Is Nichols Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Nichols Lake?
- Nichols Lake has a maximum depth of 50 feet and an average depth of 16 feet. The lake covers 153.5 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Nichols Lake?
- Nichols Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Nichols Lake (South). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Nichols Lake?
- Nichols Lake has 1 documented boat landing 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.
Are there campgrounds on Nichols Lake?
- Nichols Lake has 2 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Nichols Lake Recreation Area, Nichols Lake South Campground. 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 Nichols Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
Measurements for Nichols Lake come from the EPA Water Quality Portal. Per-sample source details are not recorded for this lake.
Other records on this page
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles