Trapper'S Lake
Alger County, MichiganView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae sit in the clean band for this region.
- Mesotrophic
- #8 of 8 in the county
- 35 ft max depth
Trapper'S Lake in Alger County, Michigan has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 7.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 7.8 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 7.7 ft
- Typical in September
- 71°F
- Max depth
- ~35 ft est.
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 7.8 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Stays near Trapper'S Lake
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Watch Trapper'S Lake’s letter
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Free interactive depth-contour map of Trapper'S Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 15 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Trapper'S Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Alger County, Michigan with an estimated average depth of about 35 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 7 other monitored lakes in Alger County, Trapper'S Lake ranks #8 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2024-08-21. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.7 ft. Phosphorus 7.8 µg/L. TSI 41. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 7.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 7.8 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 41 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Water Temperature
Trapper'S Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 75°F) and coldest in Jun (about 70°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 370 field readings (2012–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Trapper'S Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~35 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~18 ft est. |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Michigan has not published bathymetry for Trapper'S 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 Trapper'S Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 9 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.077 m/yr | 9 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +4.82 µg/L/yr | 6 |
County Ranking
Ranked #8 of 8 lakes in Alger County
Nearby Lakes in Alger County
Frequently asked questions about Trapper'S Lake
Where is Trapper'S Lake?
- Trapper'S Lake is a lake in Alger County, Michigan. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Trapper'S Lake?
- Trapper'S Lake in Alger County, Michigan has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 7.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 7.8 µg/L.
Is Trapper'S Lake safe to swim in?
- The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Trapper'S Lake?
- Trapper'S Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September, from 370 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2012–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Trapper'S Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Trapper'S Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 35 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Trapper'S Lake across LakeQuality
15.4 mi away · 75 ft
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Planning a trip around Pictured Rocks?
Trapper'S Lake is about 2 miles from Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Pictured Rocks →More Michigan Lake Rankings
Other Grade B Lakes in Michigan
Mesotrophic Lakes in Michigan
Where this data comes from
33 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- National Park Service Water Resources Division
11NPSWRD_WQX33 samples · 2016–2024
Analytical methods
- Secchi Disk
- Alkaline Persulfate Digestion for Total N and P in Water
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)