Spider Lake
Grand Traverse County, Michigan445 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Spider Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Public access
Spider Lake in Grand Traverse County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 7.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.2 µg/L. Surface area: 445 acres.
Spider Lake is a 445-acre mesotrophic lake in Grand Traverse County, Michigan. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 1 documented fish species including Largemouth bass. Public access is available. Compared to the 4 other monitored lakes in Grand Traverse County, Spider Lake ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2023-09-11. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Spider Lake covers about 450 acres in Grand Traverse County. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Spider Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Spider Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12 ft of visibility
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 Spider 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 Spider Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Spider Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 12 ft. Phosphorus 7.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.2 µg/L. TSI 39.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 7.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.2µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 39 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Spider Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Spider Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 67°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 71°F) and coldest in May (about 56°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (56°F) to its warmest (71°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 152 field readings (2019–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Spider Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
445 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
No bathymetric survey has been published for Spider Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Spider Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Spider Lake in Grand Traverse 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 Spider Lake
Prices for Oct 16–18, 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 →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Spider Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2016–2023).
Water clarity
Worsening7 years
Phosphorus
Improving-3.15 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.2 µg/L/yr4 years
Nearby Lakes in Grand Traverse County
Frequently asked questions about Spider Lake
Where is Spider Lake?
- Spider Lake is a lake in Grand Traverse County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Spider Lake?
- Spider Lake in Grand Traverse County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 7.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.2 µg/L. Surface area: 445 acres.
Is Spider 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 Spider Lake?
- Spider Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September, from 152 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2019–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
What fish are in Spider Lake?
- Fish species found in Spider Lake include Largemouth bass. Spider Lake is located in Grand Traverse County, Michigan.
Can I fish at Spider Lake?
- Public access to Spider Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Spider Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Michigan
Fish species and best lakes in Grand Traverse County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Top lakes and where to stay in the Grand Traverse Region area
Where to stay at Michigan's top lakes, each with its readings
Michigan's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
Planning a trip around Sleeping Bear Dunes?
Spider Lake is about 31 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
Mesotrophic Lakes in Michigan
Where this data comes from
70 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2017–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Michigan EGLE - MiCorps
21MICH_MICORPS70 samples · 2017–2023
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
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.