Smoky Lake
Iron County, MichiganView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Smoky Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- 47 ft max depth
- Public access
Smoky Lake in Iron County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 24 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 7.8 µg/L.
Smoky Lake is a cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Iron County, Michigan with an estimated average depth of about 47 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. Compared to the 20 other monitored lakes in Iron County, Smoky Lake ranks #13 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2026-07-19. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Smoky Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water24 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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 Smoky 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 Smoky Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Smoky 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 24 ft down. Phosphorus 7.8 µg/L. TSI 33.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 24ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 7.8µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| 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. | 33 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Smoky Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Smoky Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 71°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 74°F) and coldest in Feb (about 33°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (33°F) to its warmest (74°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 144 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Smoky Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~47 ft est.
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Michigan has not published bathymetry for Smoky Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
9 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
544 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
5.9 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,693 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- Smoky 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 Smoky Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Smoky Lake in Iron 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 Smoky Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Follow Smoky Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Smoky Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 11 years of monitoring (2016–2026).
Water clarity
Stable10 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.79 µg/L/yr7 years
Nearby Lakes in Iron County
Frequently asked questions about Smoky Lake
Where is Smoky Lake?
- Smoky Lake is a lake in Iron County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Smoky Lake?
- Smoky Lake in Iron County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 24 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 7.8 µg/L.
Is Smoky 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 Smoky Lake?
- Smoky Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September, from 144 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Smoky Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Smoky Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 47 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
What fish are in Smoky Lake?
- Fish species found in Smoky Lake include Lake herring. Smoky Lake is located in Iron County, Michigan.
Are there boat ramps on Smoky Lake?
- Smoky Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Smoky Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Smoky Lake?
- Smoky 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.
Explore Smoky Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
116 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX116 samples · 2016–2026
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)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory