Habitats of southeast Michigan: Lakes and Ponds

8.12.2026

By Abby Lauer, Park Interpreter

If you have had the pleasure of growing up in Michigan, most of our summers begin with a trip to a lake or pond. Once our feet hit the water, we can defrost from the long winters that we endure. We are incredibly lucky to live in the Great Lakes state with access to the largest freshwater supply on the planet. In southeast Michigan, the most available water bodies are inland lakes and ponds, which are home to a variety of plants and animals.

Lakes and ponds are classified differently depending on the vegetation, animals, and land use. A pond is a shallow body of water with a muddy bottom that generally supports aquatic plant growth. Ponds tend to have shallow water and temperature changes seasonally. Lakes are like ponds but are usually larger and classified by depth, with more open and clearer water.  Water quality shapes both ponds and lakes according to their size, depth, and shape. Depending on when you visit these bodies of water, these characteristics can differ throughout the year. The surrounding soil, local climate, and impact of human activities can influence inland lakes and ponds as well.

The classification of lakes and ponds depends on how they form and the amount of aquatic plant growth in the water. According to Michigan State University Extension, “Naturally occurring ponds, much like many lakes, formed as the glaciers receded over 10,000 years ago. Huge chunks of ice broke off the retreating glaciers, creating depressions and filled over glacial deposits as the ice melted” (Common pond types in Michigan). There are also human-created ponds which are engineered for a specific purpose or for the use of land management. In southeast Michigan, there is a special kind of pond called a vernal pond. Vernal ponds are seasonal wetlands that are active during spring and dry during the summer. Vernal ponds get water from precipitation like rain and snowmelt, groundwater, surface runoff, overbank flooding, along rivers, and intermittent streams.  Beaver ponds are ponds created by beaver dams that support a wide variety of wildlife and native species.

Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB)

As you are exploring lakes and ponds this summer, you may come across blue-green algae. Some of these algae can be toxic to humans, animals, and plants. This is known as a harmful algal bloom (HAB). HABs can last a week or more and can look like spilled paint in the water. If you come across any algae that you think could be an HAB while you are recreating in Michigan this summer, you can report it at this link.

Wildlife that depends on lakes and ponds

While you travel to lakes and ponds throughout Michigan, you will get to experience many signs of animals that live in and around the water. Starting in the spring, you will hear native frog species like the Blanchard’s cricket frog, northern spring peeper, green frog, eastern gray tree frog, American bullfrog, and western chorus frog. If you get the chance to kayak or canoe, you may come across native Michigan turtles sunning themselves on the rocks and logs like the painted turtle, common snapping turtle, or spiny softshell turtles.

Grab your binoculars and a sun hat and check out birds that are commonly found near lakes and ponds. You will likely see waterfowl: swans, the great blue heron, and egrets. You will also see birds of prey like the osprey and bald eagles. If you are lucky, you may see signs of mammals like muskrats and otters.  If you explore ponds or lakes at night, you may see nocturnal animals like raccoons, beavers, and the little brown and big brown bats who use aquatic habitats as a food source.

If you like to fish, ponds and lakes are perfect places to find bass, bluegill, trout, walleye and catfish. Insects and macroinvertebrates are also found in ponds and lakes. Dragonflies and damselflies start their life cycle in the water before maturing into winged adults. Macroinvertebrates help us indicate healthy water quality because they are highly sensitive to pollution. Other key species include water striders, diving beetles, crayfish and freshwater snails. The indicator species that call vernal ponds home are the blue-spotted salamanders, spotted salamanders, wood frogs, and fairy shrimp. They thrive in vernal ponds because they lack predators like fish.

Common aquatic plants found in and around ponds and lakes are wild celery, eel grass, bladderwort, duckweed, common arrowhead, pickerelweed, and water lilies. You can also find invasive plants like the purple loosestrife around the banks of ponds and lakes. Join the natural resources team at one of the Metroparks for a clean-up adventure as they take on invasive plants and help native species thrive by signing up for one of the upcoming volunteer workdays. Here is the sign-up link.

If you live near Indian Springs Metropark, don’t miss the chance to check out the underwater pond dome at the Environmental Discovery Center. Here you can get a view of the naturally managed discovery pond and see what life is like below the water’s surface for our native fish!

Looking to experience fishing on one of the Great Lakes? Come experience what many call the Walleye capital of the world on the deep, open waters of Lake Erie and the Detroit River. Or enjoy shoreline and bridge-fishing opportunities to catch panfish, perch, bass and bullhead. An extensive fishing bridge crosses one of the main lagoons and shoreline fishing is available throughout Lake Erie Metropark. Fishing poles are available for loan at no cost at the Marshlands Museum. Spearing and bow and arrow fishing are prohibited.

Resources:

https://www.michiganseagrant.org/topics/great-lakes-fast-facts/

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/common-pond-types-in-michigan

https://www.michigan.gov/egle/about/organization/water-resources/glwarm/harmful-algal-blooms