Perch Lake
Hillsdale County, Michigan125 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Perch Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Public access
- Limited data
Perch Lake in Hillsdale County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Surface area: 125 acres.
Perch Lake is a 125-acre lake in Hillsdale County, Michigan. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 1 documented fish species including Bluegill. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-03-21. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Perch 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 Perch Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Perch Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 3.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 15 µg/L. TSI 52.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 15µg/L | Measured, not scored 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. | 52 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Perch Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
125 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
No bathymetric survey has been published for Perch Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
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Stays near Perch Lake
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Fish Species
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Fishing Perch 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-2 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.8 µg/L/yr2 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Perch Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Crystal Lake Dam (completed 1976), built primarily for recreation on the Trib to Grand River; earth-type dam, 10 ft tall and 100 ft long.
- Surface area
- 125 ac
- Normal storage
- 90 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 290 ac-ft
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Hillsdale County Drain Commissioner
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MI00956 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.35 km)
Nearby Lakes in Hillsdale County
Frequently asked questions about Perch Lake
Where is Perch Lake?
- Perch Lake is a lake in Hillsdale County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Perch Lake?
- Perch Lake in Hillsdale County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Surface area: 125 acres.
Is Perch Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What fish are in Perch Lake?
- Fish species found in Perch Lake include Bluegill. Perch Lake is located in Hillsdale County, Michigan.
Can I fish at Perch Lake?
- Public access to Perch 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.
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Where this data comes from
10 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Michigan EGLE - MiCorps
21MICH_MICORPS10 samples · 2021–2022
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
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.