Paw Paw Lake
Kalamazoo County, Michigan123 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Paw Paw Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 50 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Paw Paw Lake in Kalamazoo County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 50 ft. Surface area: 123.4 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Paw Paw Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 50 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Paw Paw Lake is a 123-acre lake in Kalamazoo County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 50 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 4 documented fish species including Bluegill, Bowfin, and Brook silverside. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-09-17. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Paw Paw Lake covers about 120 acres in Kalamazoo County. It has one public boat landing. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Paw Paw Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Paw Paw Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing4 species recorded
- Deep water50 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Paw Paw 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 Paw Paw Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Paw Paw 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. 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 | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| 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 Paw Paw Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
50 ft
Surface area
123 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
Recreation & Access
- Paw Paw LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Paw Paw Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Paw Paw Lake in Kalamazoo 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 Paw Paw Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Michigan’s top lakes →
Follow Paw Paw Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Paw Paw Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2021–2023). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving3 years
Phosphorus
Improving-4 µg/L/yr2 years
Nearby Lakes in Kalamazoo County
Frequently asked questions about Paw Paw Lake
Where is Paw Paw Lake?
- Paw Paw Lake is a lake in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Paw Paw Lake?
- Paw Paw Lake in Kalamazoo County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 50 ft. Surface area: 123.4 acres.
Is Paw Paw Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Paw Paw Lake?
- Paw Paw Lake has a maximum depth of 50 feet. The lake covers 123.4 acres.
What fish are in Paw Paw Lake?
- Fish species found in Paw Paw Lake include Bluegill, Bowfin, Brook silverside, Grass pickerel. Paw Paw Lake is located in Kalamazoo County, Michigan.
Are there boat ramps on Paw Paw Lake?
- Paw Paw Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Paw Paw Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Paw Paw Lake?
- Paw Paw 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.
Explore Paw Paw Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Michigan
Fish species and best lakes in Kalamazoo County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Michigan's top lakes, each with its readings
Michigan's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Michigan
Other Lakes in Michigan
Mesotrophic Lakes in Michigan
Where this data comes from
25 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS25 samples · 2021–2022
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory