Ore Lake
Livingston County, Michigan229 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Ore Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 81 ft max depth
- Public access
Ore Lake in Livingston County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 81 ft. Surface area: 229.2 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Ore Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 81 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Ore Lake is a 229-acre mesotrophic lake in Livingston County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 81 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including Blackside darter, Brook silverside, and Greenside darter. Public access is available. Compared to the 8 other monitored lakes in Livingston County, Ore Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2023-09-15. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Ore Lake covers about 230 acres in Livingston County. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Ore Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Ore Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Deep water81 ft surveyed max depth
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. Ore Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, pesticides, pFAS, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Ore 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 Ore Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Ore 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 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.8 µg/L. TSI 45.
| 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 | 22µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.8µg/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. | 45 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Ore Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Ore Lake typically sits around 56°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 53°F. Usually warmest in Sep (about 56°F) and coldest in May (about 50°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (50°F) to its warmest (56°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 288 field readings (2017–2019) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Ore Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
81 ft
Surface area
229 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
245 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
2.5 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
850 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Ore Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Ore Lake in Livingston 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 Ore Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Ore Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 8 years of monitoring (2016–2023).
Water clarity
Improving8 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.75 µg/L/yr7 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.27 µg/L/yr6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Ore Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040900050112-05 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
5 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Ore Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 1 classified by the EPA as major discharger. 3 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Brighton WwtpBrighton · 2.1 mi away · NPDES MI0020877MajorRecent violation
- Mdeq-Holly Road Site GwcuBrighton · 3.3 mi away · NPDES MI0058344Recent violation
- Brighton Twp WwtpBrighton · 3.5 mi away · NPDES MI0054968Recent violation
- Metaldyne-HamburgHamburg · 1.8 mi away · NPDES MI0043737
- Green Oak Police StationBrighton · 2.3 mi away · NPDES MIG080404
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Livingston County
Frequently asked questions about Ore Lake
Where is Ore Lake?
- Ore Lake is a lake in Livingston County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Ore Lake?
- Ore Lake in Livingston County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 81 ft. Surface area: 229.2 acres.
Is Ore Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Ore Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, pesticides, pFAS, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Ore Lake?
- Ore Lake typically sits around 56°F at the surface in September, from 288 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2017–2019). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Ore Lake?
- Ore Lake has a maximum depth of 81 feet. The lake covers 229.2 acres.
What fish are in Ore Lake?
- Fish species found in Ore Lake include Blackside darter, Brook silverside, Greenside darter, Iowa darter, Johnny darter, Lake herring, Mimic shiner, Northern hog sucker, Northern logperch, Sand shiner, Shorthead redhorse, Silver shiner, Striped shiner, Yellow perch. Ore Lake is located in Livingston County, Michigan.
Can I fish at Ore Lake?
- Public access to Ore Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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.
Explore Ore Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
173 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_MICORPS173 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.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)