North Bar Lake
Leelanau County, Michigan31 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae sit in the clean band for this region.
↓ down from A at the last regrade
- Oligotrophic
- #9 of 12 in the county
- 43 ft max depth
North Bar Lake in Leelanau County, Michigan has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 12.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9.3 µg/L. Surface area: 30.8 acres.
- Clarity
- 12.7 ft
- Typical in September
- 65°F
- Max depth
- ~43 ft est.
- Area
- 31 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 9.3 µg/L
- Trend
- → Stable
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Watch North Bar Lake’s letter
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North Bar Lake is a 31-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Leelanau County, Michigan with an estimated average depth of about 43 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2024. Compared to the 11 other monitored lakes in Leelanau County, North Bar Lake ranks #9 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2024-09-10. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What North Bar Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12.7 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 12.7 ft. Phosphorus 9.3 µg/L. TSI 38. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 12.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 9.3 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 38 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Water Temperature
North Bar Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 68°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 70°F) and coldest in Oct (about 58°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 555 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full North Bar Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~43 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~11 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 31 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 North Bar 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 North Bar Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 9 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.026 m/yr | 9 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | +0.14 µg/L/yr | 7 |
County Ranking
Ranked #9 of 12 lakes in Leelanau County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
North Bar Lake holds Grade B. 3 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 North Bar Lake
Where is North Bar Lake?
- North Bar 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 North Bar Lake?
- North Bar Lake in Leelanau County, Michigan has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 12.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9.3 µg/L. Surface area: 30.8 acres.
Is North Bar 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 North Bar Lake?
- North Bar Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September, from 555 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is North Bar Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers North Bar Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 43 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 30.8 acres.
Explore North Bar Lake across LakeQuality
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Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
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Planning a trip around Sleeping Bear Dunes?
North Bar Lake is about 6 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
Oligotrophic Lakes in Michigan
Where this data comes from
48 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_WQX48 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)