Stager Lake
Iron County, Michigan110 acresView mapDirections
Not Rated: one monitoring station are on record, but they measured water clarity only. LakeQuality’s A–F method grades total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity; clarity is shown, not scored.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 55 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Stager Lake in Iron County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 13 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 55 ft. Surface area: 109.5 acres.
- Clarity
- 13 ft
- Max depth
- 55 ft
- Area
- 110 acres
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Stager Lake’s letter
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Free interactive depth-contour map of Stager Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 55 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Why Stager Lake has no grade
Stager Lake has monitoring on record from one station, but only water clarity was measured. LakeQuality’s A–F letter uses total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity against EPA National Lakes Assessment condition classes. With none of those grading measurements on record, Stager Lake is Not Rated — not an F. Its 13-foot median from 76 readings collected 2016–2022 is still shown as clarity, but clarity alone cannot earn a letter.
Not Rated is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by EGLE and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Stager Lake is a 110-acre lake in Iron County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 55 feet. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 9 documented fish species including Bluegill, Brook trout, and Common shiner. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-09-14. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Stager Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water13 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing9 species recorded
- Deep water55 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Stager Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Stager Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Good clarity, visible to about 13 ft. TSI 40.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 13 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 40 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 55 ft |
| Surface Area | 110 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Recreation & Access
- Stager LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Stager Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 7 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.432 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.39 µg/L/yr | 7 |
EPA Impairment Status
Stager Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040301060409-04 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Stager Lake
Stager Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Iron County
Frequently asked questions about Stager Lake
Where is Stager Lake?
- Stager Lake is a lake in Iron County, Michigan. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity.
What is the water quality grade for Stager Lake?
- Stager Lake in Iron County, Michigan is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 13 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 55 ft. Surface area: 109.5 acres.
Is Stager Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Stager Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Stager Lake?
- Stager Lake has a maximum depth of 55 feet. The lake covers 109.5 acres.
What fish are in Stager Lake?
- Fish species found in Stager Lake include Bluegill, Brook trout, Common shiner, Largemouth bass, Pumpkinseed, Smallmouth bass, Walleye, White sucker, Yellow perch. Stager Lake is located in Iron County, Michigan.
Are there boat ramps on Stager Lake?
- Stager Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Stager Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
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Where this data comes from
76 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
NALMS76 samples · 2016–2022
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory