Round Lake
Benzie County, Michigan15 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Oligotrophic
- #10 of 21 in the county
- Limited data
Round Lake in Benzie County, Michigan has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 15 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.4 µg/L. Surface area: 15.2 acres.
- Clarity
- 15 ft
- Typical in September
- 72°F
- Area
- 15 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 6 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 1.4 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
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Watch Round Lake’s letter
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Round Lake is a 15-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Benzie County, Michigan. Water quality is graded A based on 1 sampling years through 2021. 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. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Round Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water15 ft of visibility
- Fishing37 species recorded
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Crystal clear, you can see 15 ft down. Phosphorus 6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.4 µg/L. TSI 34. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 15 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 6 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1.4 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 34 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
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.
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
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 15 acres |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Round Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Round Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +1.102 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | 0 µg/L/yr | 3 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -2.93 µg/L/yr | 4 |
County Ranking
Ranked #10 of 21 lakes in Benzie County
Nearby Lakes in Benzie County
Frequently asked questions about Round Lake
Where is Round Lake?
- Round Lake is a lake in Benzie County, Michigan. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Round Lake?
- Round Lake in Benzie County, Michigan has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). 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?
- The A is nutrients and algae, 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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Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
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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 Michigan Lake Rankings
Other Grade A 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)
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.