Round Lake
Benzie County, Michigan15 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Round Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Limited data
Round Lake in Benzie County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 15 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.4 µg/L. Surface area: 15.2 acres.
Round Lake is a 15-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Benzie County, Michigan. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 37 documented fish species including Black bullhead, Black crappie, and Blackchin shiner. Compared to the 20 other monitored lakes in Benzie County, Round Lake ranks #10 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2021-09-09. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Round Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water15 ft of visibility
- Fishing37 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Round 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 Round Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Round Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 15 ft down. Phosphorus 6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.4 µg/L. TSI 34.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 15ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 6µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 1.4µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 34 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Round Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Round Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 71°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 76°F) and coldest in May (about 58°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (58°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 70 field readings (2021–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Round Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
15 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Round Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Round Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Round Lake in Benzie 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 Round Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Round Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2019–2023).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
Phosphorus
Stable0 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-2.93 µg/L/yr4 years
Nearby Lakes in Benzie County
Frequently asked questions about Round Lake
Where is Round Lake?
- Round Lake is a lake in Benzie County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Round Lake?
- Round Lake in Benzie County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 15 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.4 µg/L. Surface area: 15.2 acres.
Is Round Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Round Lake?
- Round Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in September, from 70 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2021–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
What fish are in Round Lake?
- Fish species found in Round Lake include Black bullhead, Black crappie, Blackchin shiner, Blacknose shiner, Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Brassy minnow, Brook silverside, Brook stickleback, Central mudminnow, Common shiner, Fathead minnow, Golden shiner, Grass pickerel, Green sunfish, Iowa darter, Johnny darter, Lake chubsucker, Largemouth bass, Longnose gar, Muskellunge, Northern logperch, Northern longear sunfish, Northern pike, Pumpkinseed, Redear sunfish, Rock bass, Rosyface shiner, Smallmouth bass, Spotfin shiner, Spottail shiner, Spotted gar, Tadpole madtom, Western banded killifish, White sucker, Yellow bullhead, Yellow perch. Round Lake is located in Benzie County, Michigan.
Explore Round Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Benzie County
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Planning a trip around Sleeping Bear Dunes?
Round Lake is about 18 miles from Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Sleeping Bear Dunes →More lakes in Michigan
Other Lakes in Michigan
Oligotrophic Lakes in Michigan
Where this data comes from
16 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Michigan EGLE - MiCorps
21MICH_MICORPS16 samples · 2021
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
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.