South Manistique Lake
Mackinac County, Michigan4,136 acresView mapDirections
No nutrient or algae sampling on record from EGLE for this lake.
- 25 ft max depth
- Public access
South Manistique Lake in Mackinac County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 4135.9 acres.
Water clarity at South Manistique Lake
Moderate clarity. Across summers from 2018 to 2023, South Manistique Lake averaged 2.86 m (9 ft) of visibility down into the water, so visibility is middling in midsummer, which is ordinary for a productive inland lake. This lake sits close to the line between clarity classes, so treat the label as approximate and the depth reading as the real number.
Nobody has taken a water sample here that we can find. Michigan's environmental agency measures clarity on lakes like this one from satellite images instead, which is why this page reports how clear the water is and no phosphorus or algae readings.
Clear is not the same as clean. A lake can be easy to see through and still carry high nutrient levels, and a naturally tea-stained lake can be perfectly healthy. The nutrient and algae readings on other lakes come from phosphorus and chlorophyll-a measured in a laboratory, and clarity alone cannot stand in for them.
The same satellite images put summer algae here at roughly 4.86 micrograms per litre. Estimating algae from orbit is far less exact than measuring clarity, so that figure is worth knowing and is not part of any rating.
South Manistique Lake is a 4,136-acre lake in Mackinac County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 25 feet (21-foot average). Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 3 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What South Manistique Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch3 documented ramps
- Big water4,136 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingNot rated
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether South Manistique 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 South Manistique Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for South Manistique Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. TSI undefined.
Ask about South Manistique Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
25 ft
Average depth
21 ft
Surface area
4,136 acres
Shoreline
1.3 mi
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
Recreation & Access
- South Manisitique Lake CampgroundPublic
- Wolfe RoadPublic
- Norton RoadPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
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Fishing South Manistique Lake
Nearby Lakes in Mackinac County
Frequently asked questions about South Manistique Lake
Where is South Manistique Lake?
- South Manistique Lake is a lake in Mackinac County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of South Manistique Lake?
- South Manistique Lake in Mackinac County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 4135.9 acres.
Is South Manistique Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is South Manistique Lake?
- South Manistique Lake has a maximum depth of 25 feet and an average depth of 21 feet. The lake covers 4135.9 acres.
Are there boat ramps on South Manistique Lake?
- South Manistique Lake has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include South Manisitique Lake Campground, Wolfe Road, Norton Road. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at South Manistique Lake?
- South Manistique Lake has 3 documented boat landings 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.
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Where this data comes from
Measurements for South Manistique Lake come from the EPA Water Quality Portal. Per-sample source details are not recorded for this lake.
Other records on this page
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory