Whitmore Lake
Livingston County, Michigan441 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Whitmore Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 69 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Whitmore Lake in Livingston County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 69 ft. Surface area: 441 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Whitmore Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 69 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Whitmore Lake is a 441-acre lake in Livingston County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 69 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 1 documented fish species including Bowfin. 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.
Whitmore Lake covers about 440 acres in Livingston County. It has one public boat landing. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Whitmore Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Whitmore Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Deep water69 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Whitmore Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Whitmore 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 Whitmore Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Whitmore 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 9 ft. TSI 45.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 9ft | 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. | 45 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Whitmore Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
69 ft
Surface area
441 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
Recreation & Access
- Lake WhitmorePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Whitmore Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Whitmore Lake in Livingston 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 Whitmore Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Whitmore Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2019–2023).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Whitmore Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Whitmore Lake Control Structure (completed 1969), built primarily for recreation on the No Outlet; concrete-type dam, 8 ft tall.
- Surface area
- 441 ac
- Normal storage
- 450 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 900 ac-ft
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Washtenaw County Drain Commissioner
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MI04005 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.99 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Whitmore Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040900050301-02 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
3 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Whitmore Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 1 classified by the EPA as major discharger. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Northfield Twp WwtpWhitmore Lake · 1.5 mi away · NPDES MI0023710MajorRecent violation
- Hop-In Mich-Whitmore LakeWhitmore Lake · 2.4 mi away · NPDES MI0053341
- Clark Station #2118Whitmore Lake · 3 mi away · NPDES MIG080990
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 Livingston County
Frequently asked questions about Whitmore Lake
Where is Whitmore Lake?
- Whitmore Lake is a lake in Livingston County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Whitmore Lake?
- Whitmore Lake in Livingston County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 69 ft. Surface area: 441 acres.
Is Whitmore Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Whitmore Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Whitmore Lake?
- Whitmore Lake has a maximum depth of 69 feet. The lake covers 441 acres.
What fish are in Whitmore Lake?
- Fish species found in Whitmore Lake include Bowfin. Whitmore Lake is located in Livingston County, Michigan.
Are there boat ramps on Whitmore Lake?
- Whitmore Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Whitmore. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Whitmore Lake?
- Whitmore 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 Whitmore Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
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Fish species and best lakes in Livingston County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
76 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
NALMS76 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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory