Leelanau County, Michigan · Water Quality Report Card
South Bar Lake; Center of
South Bar Lake; Center of in Leelanau County, Michigan has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 8.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.5 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 8.5 ft
- Mean depth
- ~11 ft est.
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
South Bar Lake; Center of is a mesotrophic lake in Leelanau County, Michigan with an estimated average depth of about 11 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2023. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 9 other monitored lakes in Leelanau County, South Bar Lake; Center of ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2023-09-10. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.5 ft. Phosphorus level: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 5.5 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 46.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 8.5 ft | |
| Phosphorus | 15 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 5.5 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 46 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Average Depth | ~11 ft est. |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled estimate from HydroLAKES, not a measured survey. Michigan has not published bathymetry for South Bar Lake; Center of.
Where to stay near South Bar Lake; Center of
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Fishing South Bar Lake; Center of
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +2.525 m/yr | 3 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +1 µg/L/yr | 3 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -1.9 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Location
County Ranking
Ranked #4 of 10 lakes in Leelanau County
Nearby Lakes in Leelanau County
Explore South Bar Lake; Center of across LakeGrade
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Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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Planning a trip around Sleeping Bear Dunes?
South Bar Lake; Center of is about 8 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
Mesotrophic Lakes in Michigan
More records, surveys & data sources
Lake Size & Watershed
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.
Where this data comes from
66 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Michigan EGLE - MiCorps
21MICH_MICORPS66 samples · 2021–2023
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds come from the U.S. EPA National Lakes Assessment 2022 Technical Support Document (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated.
Data Sources
Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion
Most recent sample: 2023-09-10
Monitoring stations: 1