Description:
St. Clair Lake is a small, pretty lake that is utilized by boaters, swimmers, paddlers, and fishermen. It is situated between Six Mile Lake and Ellsworth Lake in the Elk River Chain of Lakes. Department of Natural Resources records indicate that it was once known as Campbell Lake. Like most other lakes of the Upper Chain, it is relatively long and narrow.
Most of St. Clair Lake is located in Antrim County, although the eastern end lies in Charlevoix County. The town of Ellsworth is located along the western end of the lake.
The only named inlet to the lake, the Sinclair River, flows from Six Mile Lake through the St. Clair Lake / Six Mile Lake Natural Area, which has over a mile of undeveloped protected shoreline. A very short (~1/4 mile) segment of the Intermediate River flows from St. Clair Lake into Ellsworth Lake.
Fish found during Department of Natural Resources surveys include rock bass, black crappie, northern pike, small- and largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch, pumpkinseed, green sunfish, and mimic shiner.
Monitoring and Research:
St. Clair Lake is monitored every three years through the Watershed Council’s Comprehensive Water Quality Monitoring (CWQM) Program for dissolved oxygen, specific conductivity, pH, nitrate-nitrogen, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and chloride levels.
It is NOT currently monitored through the Watershed Council’s Volunteer Lake Monitoring (VLM) Program. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, contact the Watershed Council at 231-347-1181.
The Elk River Chain of Lakes Watershed Plan Implementation Team meets regularly and is working to protect the lakes in the Chain.
Additional Resources:
See additional resources on our Aquavist page.
A wide variety of maps for this area are available online at the Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI) Data Resources page.
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Shoreline Survey:
Elk River Chain of Lakes Shoreline Survey
Project Summary During the summers of 2016 and 2017, the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council led a coordinated effort to conduct a shoreline survey for 15 Lakes in the Elk River Chain of Lakes Watershed. The surveys were meant to document conditions that could impact water quality, including the
