Sturgeon Lake
St. Joseph County, Michigan193 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Sturgeon Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · PFAS
- 34 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Ask about Sturgeon Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Sturgeon Lake in St. Joseph County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 77 µg/L. Surface area: 193.4 acres.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Sturgeon Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Sturgeon Lake in St. Joseph 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 Sturgeon Lake
Prices for Sep 18–20, 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 →
Follow Sturgeon Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Sturgeon Lake is a 193-acre lake in St. Joseph County, Michigan with an estimated average depth of about 34 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2023-09-25. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Sturgeon Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pFAS. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Sturgeon 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 Sturgeon Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Sturgeon Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 77 µg/L. TSI 64.
| Metric | Value | EPA condition class |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3 ft | Measured, not scored |
| Phosphorus | 77 µg/L | Measured, not scored |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 64 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~34 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~12 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 193 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Michigan has not published bathymetry for Sturgeon Lake.
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.
Fishing Sturgeon Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Sturgeon Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040500010406-03 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.43 km)
Nearby Lakes in St. Joseph County
Frequently asked questions about Sturgeon Lake
Where is Sturgeon Lake?
- Sturgeon Lake is a lake in St. Joseph County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Sturgeon Lake?
- Sturgeon Lake in St. Joseph County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 77 µg/L. Surface area: 193.4 acres.
Is Sturgeon Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Sturgeon Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pFAS. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Sturgeon Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Sturgeon Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 34 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 193.4 acres.
Explore Sturgeon Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Michigan
Fish species and best lakes in St. Joseph County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Michigan's top lakes, each with its readings
Michigan's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Michigan
Other Lakes in Michigan
Eutrophic Lakes in Michigan
Where this data comes from
12 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Michigan EGLE - MiCorps
21MICH_MICORPS12 samples · 2023
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)