Rifle Lake
Ogemaw County, Michigan186 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Rifle Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 70 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Rifle Lake in Ogemaw County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 24.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 70 ft. Surface area: 185.5 acres.
Rifle Lake is a 186-acre lake in Ogemaw County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 70 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2017-09-07. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Rifle Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Deep water70 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 Rifle 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 Rifle Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Rifle Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 24.5 µg/L. TSI 50.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 24.5µg/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. | 50 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Rifle Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
70 ft
Surface area
186 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
2.9 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
912 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
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Stays near Rifle Lake
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Fishing Rifle Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2016–2017). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Phosphorus
Improving-31 µg/L/yr2 years
Nearby Lakes in Ogemaw County
Frequently asked questions about Rifle Lake
Where is Rifle Lake?
- Rifle Lake is a lake in Ogemaw County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Rifle Lake?
- Rifle Lake in Ogemaw County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 24.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 70 ft. Surface area: 185.5 acres.
Is Rifle Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Rifle Lake?
- Rifle Lake has a maximum depth of 70 feet. The lake covers 185.5 acres.
Can I fish at Rifle Lake?
- Public access to Rifle 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.
Explore Rifle Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
4 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2017. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Michigan EGLE - MiCorps
21MICH_MICORPS4 samples · 2016–2017
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.
Other records on this page
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)