Susan Lake
Charlevoix County, Michigan126 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Susan Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 38 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Susan Lake in Charlevoix County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 9.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.3 µg/L. Surface area: 125.6 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Susan Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 15 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Susan Lake is a 126-acre lake in Charlevoix County, Michigan with an estimated average depth of about 38 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including Blacknose shiner, Bluegill, and Bluntnose minnow. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2021-10-14. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Susan Lake covers about 130 acres in Charlevoix County. It has one public boat landing. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Susan Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Susan Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing12 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Susan 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 Susan Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Susan 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. Phosphorus 9.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.3 µg/L. TSI 35.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 9.5µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 1.3µg/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. | 35 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Susan Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Susan Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 76°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in Feb (about 39°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (39°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 16 field readings (2015–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Susan Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~38 ft est.
Surface area
126 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Michigan has not published bathymetry for Susan Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
2.9 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
666 ft
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.
Recreation & Access
- Seibert Nature PreservePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Susan Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Susan Lake in Charlevoix 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 Susan Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 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 trip? Cabins and lodging at Susan Lake → · more Michigan lake trips
Follow Susan Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Susan Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2019–2021). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.55 µg/L/yr2 years
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Susan Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Ceco-Big Rock Point PltCharlevoix · 2.5 mi away · NPDES MI0001431
- Mdeq-Rrd-Former Dme FacilityCharlevoix · 4 mi away · NPDES MI0059353
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Charlevoix County
Frequently asked questions about Susan Lake
Where is Susan Lake?
- Susan Lake is a lake in Charlevoix County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Susan Lake?
- Susan Lake in Charlevoix County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 9.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.3 µg/L. Surface area: 125.6 acres.
Is Susan 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 Susan Lake?
- Susan Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in October, from 16 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2015–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Susan Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Susan Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 38 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 125.6 acres.
What fish are in Susan Lake?
- Fish species found in Susan Lake include Blacknose shiner, Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Central mudminnow, Common shiner, Iowa darter, Largemouth bass, Northern pike, Pumpkinseed, Rock bass, Western banded killifish, Yellow perch. Susan Lake is located in Charlevoix County, Michigan.
Are there boat ramps on Susan Lake?
- Susan Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Seibert Nature Preserve. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Susan Lake?
- Susan Lake has 1 documented boat landing 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.
Explore Susan Lake across LakeQuality
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Michigan
Fish species and best lakes in Charlevoix 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
More lakes in Michigan
Other Lakes in Michigan
Oligotrophic Lakes in Michigan
Where this data comes from
11 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2019–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians
LTBBWATR_WQX11 samples · 2019–2021
Analytical methods
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- 4500 P F ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry Automated Ascorbic Acid Method
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory