Sylvan Lake
Oakland County, Michigan387 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Sylvan Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Limited data
Sylvan Lake in Oakland County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Surface area: 386.5 acres.
Sylvan Lake is a 387-acre mesotrophic lake in Oakland County, Michigan. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including Blacknose shiner, Bluegill, and Bluntnose minnow. Compared to the 28 other monitored lakes in Oakland County, Sylvan Lake ranks #11 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2021-09-25. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Sylvan Lake covers about 390 acres in Oakland County. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Sylvan Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Sylvan Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10.3 ft of visibility
- Fishing14 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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 Sylvan 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 Sylvan Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Sylvan 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 10.3 ft. Phosphorus 16 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.7 µg/L. TSI 43.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 16µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.7µg/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. | 43 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Sylvan Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Sylvan Lake typically sits around 59°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 59°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 60°F) and coldest in May (about 54°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (54°F) to its warmest (60°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 189 field readings (2019–2019) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Sylvan Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
387 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Sylvan Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Sylvan Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Sylvan Lake in Oakland 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 Sylvan Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Michigan’s top lakes →
Follow Sylvan Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Sylvan Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2018–2023).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.3 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+4.28 µg/L/yr4 years
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Sylvan Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Sylvan Lake MS4-OaklandSylvan Lake · 0.8 mi away · NPDES MI0060161Recent violation
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 Oakland County
Frequently asked questions about Sylvan Lake
Where is Sylvan Lake?
- Sylvan Lake is a lake in Oakland County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Sylvan Lake?
- Sylvan Lake in Oakland County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Surface area: 386.5 acres.
Is Sylvan 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 Sylvan Lake?
- Sylvan Lake typically sits around 59°F at the surface in September, from 189 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2019–2019). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
What fish are in Sylvan Lake?
- Fish species found in Sylvan Lake include Blacknose shiner, Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Green sunfish, Iowa darter, Largemouth bass, Northern pike, Rock bass, Sand shiner, Smallmouth bass, Walleye, Western banded killifish, White sucker, Yellow perch. Sylvan Lake is located in Oakland County, Michigan.
Explore Sylvan Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
56 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2018–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- Michigan EGLE - MiCorps
21MICH_MICORPS56 samples · 2018–2021
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.
Other records on this page
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)