Sanford Lake
Benzie County, Michigan53 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Sanford Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Limited data
Sanford Lake in Benzie County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 17 ft visibility. Surface area: 52.8 acres.
Sanford Lake is a 53-acre lake in Benzie County, Michigan. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 17 documented fish species including Black crappie, Blackside darter, and Bluegill.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-09-02. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Sanford Lake covers about 53 acres in Benzie County. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Sanford Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Sanford Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water17 ft of visibility
- Fishing17 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Sanford 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 Sanford Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Sanford 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 17 ft down. TSI 36.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 17ft | 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. | 36 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Sanford Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Sanford Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 62°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 64°F) and coldest in May (about 54°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (54°F) to its warmest (64°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 87 field readings (2020–2020) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Sanford Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
53 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Sanford Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Sanford Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Sanford 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 Sanford Lake
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Michigan’s top lakes →
Follow Sanford Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Sanford Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 8 years of monitoring (2016–2023).
Water clarity
Improving8 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.27 µg/L/yr7 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.05 µg/L/yr7 years
Nearby Lakes in Benzie County
Frequently asked questions about Sanford Lake
Where is Sanford Lake?
- Sanford 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 Sanford Lake?
- Sanford Lake in Benzie County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 17 ft visibility. Surface area: 52.8 acres.
Is Sanford 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 Sanford Lake?
- Sanford Lake typically sits around 62°F at the surface in September, from 87 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2020–2020). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
What fish are in Sanford Lake?
- Fish species found in Sanford Lake include Black crappie, Blackside darter, Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Central stoneroller, Common shiner, Creek chub, Golden shiner, Hornyhead chub, Johnny darter, Largemouth bass, Northern logperch, Pumpkinseed, Rock bass, Smallmouth bass, Spotfin shiner, Yellow perch. Sanford Lake is located in Benzie County, Michigan.
Explore Sanford Lake across LakeQuality
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Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Planning a trip around Sleeping Bear Dunes?
Sanford 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
44 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS44 samples · 2016–2022
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.