Pickerel Lake
Emmet County, Michigan1,078 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 · Mercury
- 74 ft max depth
- Limited data
Pickerel Lake in Emmet County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 9.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 74 ft. Surface area: 1077.5 acres.
- Clarity
- 9.5 ft
- Max depth
- 74 ft
- Area
- 1,078 acres
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Watch Pickerel Lake’s letter
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Free interactive depth-contour map of Pickerel Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 74 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Why Pickerel Lake has no grade
Pickerel 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, Pickerel Lake is Not Rated — not an F. Its 9.5-foot median from 15 readings collected 2022 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.
Pickerel Lake is a 1,078-acre lake in Emmet County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 74 feet. The lake supports 22 documented fish species including Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, and Bowfin.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-09-08. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Pickerel Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing22 species recorded
- Deep water74 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water1,078 acres
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Pickerel Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Pickerel Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.5 ft. TSI 45.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 9.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 45 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 74 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,078 acres |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Pickerel Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Pickerel Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040700040202-05 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Pickerel Lake
Pickerel Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Emmet County
Frequently asked questions about Pickerel Lake
Where is Pickerel Lake?
- Pickerel Lake is a lake in Emmet 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 Pickerel Lake?
- Pickerel Lake in Emmet County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 9.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 74 ft. Surface area: 1077.5 acres.
Is Pickerel Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Pickerel Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Pickerel Lake?
- Pickerel Lake has a maximum depth of 74 feet. The lake covers 1077.5 acres.
What fish are in Pickerel Lake?
- Fish species found in Pickerel Lake include Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Bowfin, Brown bullhead, Common shiner, Iowa darter, Johnny darter, Largemouth bass, Longnose gar, Northern Logperch, Northern pearl dace, Northern pike, Pumpkinseed, Rock bass, Sand shiner, Slimy sculpin, Smallmouth bass, Walleye, Western banded killifish, White sucker, Yellow bullhead, Yellow perch. Pickerel Lake is located in Emmet County, Michigan.
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Where this data comes from
15 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS15 samples · 2022
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)