Otter Lake
Benzie County, Michigan64 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Otter Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Limited data
Otter Lake in Benzie County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.4 µg/L. Surface area: 64 acres.
Otter Lake is a 64-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Benzie County, Michigan. The lake supports 30 documented fish species including Bigmouth shiner, Black bullhead, and Black crappie. Compared to the 20 other monitored lakes in Benzie County, Otter Lake ranks #11 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2021-09-09. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Otter Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12 ft of visibility
- Fishing30 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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 Otter 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 Otter Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Otter Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 12 ft. Phosphorus 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.4 µg/L. TSI 38.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 11µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 1.4µg/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. | 38 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Otter Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Otter Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 75°F) and coldest in May (about 62°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (62°F) to its warmest (75°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 59 field readings (2021–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Otter Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
64 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Otter Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Otter Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Otter Lake in Benzie 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 Otter 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 Otter Lake
Nearby Lakes in Benzie County
Frequently asked questions about Otter Lake
Where is Otter Lake?
- Otter Lake is a lake in Benzie County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Otter Lake?
- Otter Lake in Benzie County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.4 µg/L. Surface area: 64 acres.
Is Otter 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 Otter Lake?
- Otter Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in September, from 59 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2021–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
What fish are in Otter Lake?
- Fish species found in Otter Lake include Bigmouth shiner, Black bullhead, Black crappie, Blacknose shiner, Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Brown bullhead, Burbot, Golden shiner, Iowa darter, Johnny darter, Lake herring, Lake sturgeon, Largemouth bass, Longnose sucker, Mimic shiner, Northern logperch, Northern pike, Rock bass, Sand shiner, Sauger, Shorthead redhorse, Silver lamprey, Silver redhorse, Smallmouth bass, Spottail shiner, Trout-perch, Walleye, White sucker, Yellow perch. Otter Lake is located in Benzie County, Michigan.
Explore Otter Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Michigan
Fish species and best lakes in Benzie County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Top lakes and where to stay in the Grand Traverse Region area
Where to stay at Michigan's top lakes, each with its readings
Michigan's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
Planning a trip around Sleeping Bear Dunes?
Otter Lake is about 13 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 lakes in Michigan
Other Lakes in Michigan
Oligotrophic Lakes in Michigan
Where this data comes from
15 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Michigan EGLE - MiCorps
21MICH_MICORPS15 samples · 2021
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.