Sugar Island Lake
Chippewa County, MichiganView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Sugar Island Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- Limited data
Sugar Island Lake in Chippewa County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 23.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3 µg/L.
Sugar Island Lake is a lake in Chippewa County, Michigan. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2025-08-15. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Sugar Island Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, pFAS, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Sugar Island 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 Sugar Island Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Sugar Island Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.2 ft. Phosphorus 23.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3 µg/L. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 23.7µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3µg/L | Measured, not scored The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Sugar Island Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Sugar Island Lake typically sits around 57°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 61°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 68°F) and coldest in Apr (about 44°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (44°F) to its warmest (68°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 176 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Sugar Island Lake water temperature breakdown →
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Stays near Sugar Island Lake
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Fishing Sugar Island Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2016–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-2.5 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.4 µg/L/yr3 years
EPA Impairment Status
Sugar Island Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040700010302-02 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Chippewa County
Frequently asked questions about Sugar Island Lake
Where is Sugar Island Lake?
- Sugar Island Lake is a lake in Chippewa County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Sugar Island Lake?
- Sugar Island Lake in Chippewa County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 23.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3 µg/L.
Is Sugar Island Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Sugar Island Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, pFAS, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Sugar Island Lake?
- Sugar Island Lake typically sits around 57°F at the surface in October, from 176 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
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Where this data comes from
98 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Bay Mills Indian Community, Michigan (Tribal)
BMIC_WQX98 samples · 2016–2025
Analytical methods
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
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