Pickerel Lake
Newaygo County, Michigan307 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Pickerel Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 73 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Pickerel Lake in Newaygo County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 73 ft. Surface area: 307.1 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Pickerel Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 73 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Pickerel Lake is a 307-acre lake in Newaygo County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 73 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 1 documented fish species including Lake herring. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-09-04. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Pickerel Lake covers about 310 acres in Newaygo County. It has one public boat landing. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Pickerel Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Pickerel Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Deep water73 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Pickerel Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Pickerel 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 Pickerel Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Pickerel 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 10.5 ft. TSI 43.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10.5ft | 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. | 43 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Pickerel Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
73 ft
Surface area
307 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
Recreation & Access
- Pickerel 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 Pickerel Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Pickerel Lake in Newaygo 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 Pickerel Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Pickerel Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 8 years of monitoring (2016–2023).
Water clarity
Improving8 years
Phosphorus
Improving-2.5 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.35 µg/L/yr3 years
EPA Impairment Status
Pickerel Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040601020903-08 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Newaygo County
Frequently asked questions about Pickerel Lake
Where is Pickerel Lake?
- Pickerel Lake is a lake in Newaygo County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Pickerel Lake?
- Pickerel Lake in Newaygo County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 73 ft. Surface area: 307.1 acres.
Is Pickerel Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Pickerel Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Pickerel Lake?
- Pickerel Lake has a maximum depth of 73 feet. The lake covers 307.1 acres.
What fish are in Pickerel Lake?
- Fish species found in Pickerel Lake include Lake herring. Pickerel Lake is located in Newaygo County, Michigan.
Are there boat ramps on Pickerel Lake?
- Pickerel Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Pickerel Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Pickerel Lake?
- Pickerel 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.
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Where this data comes from
58 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2019–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS58 samples · 2019–2022
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory