Otter Lake
Oakland County, Michigan177 acresView mapDirections
Not Rated: one monitoring station are on record, but they measured water clarity only. LakeQuality’s A–F method grades total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity; clarity is shown, not scored.
- Impaired · Pathogens (E. coli, fecal)
- 70 ft max depth
- Limited data
Otter Lake in Oakland County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 10.3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 70 ft. Surface area: 176.5 acres.
- Clarity
- 10.3 ft
- Max depth
- 70 ft
- Area
- 177 acres
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Watch Otter Lake’s letter
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Free interactive depth-contour map of Otter Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 70 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Why Otter Lake has no grade
Otter Lake has monitoring on record from one station, but only water clarity was measured. LakeQuality’s A–F letter uses total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity against EPA National Lakes Assessment condition classes. With none of those grading measurements on record, Otter Lake is Not Rated — not an F. Its 10.3-foot median from 46 readings collected 2018–2021 is still shown as clarity, but clarity alone cannot earn a letter.
Not Rated is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by EGLE and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Otter Lake is a 177-acre lake in Oakland County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 70 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 30 documented fish species including Bigmouth shiner, Black bullhead, and Black crappie.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2021-09-18. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Otter Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10.3 ft of visibility
- Fishing30 species recorded
- Deep water70 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming Safety
Not ratedBacteria advisory
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Otter Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pathogens (E. coli, fecal). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Otter Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Good clarity, visible to about 10.3 ft. TSI 44.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 10.3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 44 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 70 ft |
| Surface Area | 177 acres |
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Otter Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.279 m/yr | 3 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.96 µg/L/yr | 3 |
EPA Impairment Status
Otter Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040900050104-06 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.71 km)
Graded lakes near Otter Lake
Otter Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Oakland County
Frequently asked questions about Otter Lake
Where is Otter Lake?
- Otter Lake is a lake in Oakland County, Michigan. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity.
What is the water quality grade for Otter Lake?
- Otter Lake in Oakland County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 10.3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 70 ft. Surface area: 176.5 acres.
Is Otter Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Otter Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pathogens (E. coli, fecal). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Otter Lake?
- Otter Lake has a maximum depth of 70 feet. The lake covers 176.5 acres.
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 Oakland County, Michigan.
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Where this data comes from
46 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2018–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS46 samples · 2018–2021
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database