Turtle Lake
Benzie County, Michigan41 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Turtle Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 20 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Turtle Lake in Benzie County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 40.9 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Turtle Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 20 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Turtle Lake is a 41-acre lake in Benzie County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 20 feet. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-09-15. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Turtle Lake covers about 41 acres in Benzie County. It has one public boat landing. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Turtle Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Turtle Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11.3 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Turtle 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 Turtle Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Turtle 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 11.3 ft. TSI 42.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading 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. | 42 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Turtle Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
20 ft
Surface area
41 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
Recreation & Access
- Turtle LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Turtle Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Turtle Lake in Benzie 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 Turtle Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Follow Turtle Lake’s readings
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Fishing Turtle Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2019–2023). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving3 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.5 µg/L/yr2 years
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Turtle Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Mdnr-Platte River HatcheryBeulah · 3.6 mi away · NPDES MI0035769
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 Benzie County
Frequently asked questions about Turtle Lake
Where is Turtle Lake?
- Turtle Lake is a lake in Benzie County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Turtle Lake?
- Turtle Lake in Benzie County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 40.9 acres.
Is Turtle Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Turtle Lake?
- Turtle Lake has a maximum depth of 20 feet. The lake covers 40.9 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Turtle Lake?
- Turtle Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Turtle Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Turtle Lake?
- Turtle 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 Turtle Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
16 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2019–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS16 samples · 2019–2022
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)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory