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Algonquin Lake

Barry County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey
45ft Max
depth
242 acres 10 contours Public access
Paddling Index40Modestsheltered geometry
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Depth scale

The lake

Survey readout

Algonquin Lake is mapped to a depth of 45 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 242 acres in Barry County, Michigan.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey (depths read from the survey's isobath field; this lake's summary-depth column is blank in the source).

Deepest sounding
45 ft
Mean depth
11 ft · estimated
Surface area
242 acres
Estimated volume
2,661 acre-ft · 867M gal
Shoreline
5.47 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation
8% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access
Boat Launch
Additional depth details10 contours
Contour depths
0–45 ft
Recorded point soundings
45 ft, 41 ft, 32 ft, 17 ft

Other waters with a public launch on this map: Carter Lake. Their launches are not marked on the model — only Algonquin Lake’s own are.

61.4% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 20.5% is deeper than 20 ft; the survey shows 2 distinct basins. Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.

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Chart data

Provenance

Sources: MI DNR inland lake contours, USGS 3DEP, USDA NAIP (public domain), OpenStreetMap (ODbL), MI DNR Boat Launches.

⚠ Not for navigation

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Map details & sources5 sources

All layers registered to one bounding box; positions in WGS 84.

Survey-derived depth contours drape over USGS 3DEP elevation, with a USDA NAIP aerial basemap and OpenStreetMap shoreline. Colour shows surveyed depth; dark lines are the survey's own isobaths.

Coordinates
42.67156, -85.33230
MI DNR lake ID
L15825
Vertical exaggeration
2.15×
Basemap
USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size
2.3 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21
40 / 100ModestData confidence: High

Algonquin Lake has a substantially developed setting, generally sheltered geometry, substantial nearby higher-volume roads. No special watercraft restriction is identified in the current source.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

ComponentRatingPoints of weightMeasurement
Natural settingModest0.6 of 3030% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (21% forest, 8% wetland; 60% developed)
Geometric wind exposureVery Good16.1 of 25mean fetch 961 m · 7% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · generally short fetch
Watercraft controlsNone identified7.5 of 15No special watercraft restriction identified in the current DNR source. Motors permitted, subject to general law.
Public accessGood12.8 of 151 site with DNR boating-facility records · 1 ramp lane · 8 trailer spaces
Road isolationModest3.3 of 15substantial nearby higher-volume roads · 38 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 10,907 vehicles/day

Additional paddling considerations

These describe the lake but are not part of the v1 Paddling Index and do not change the number above.

Wake sensitivity
Low — wide enough that wakes disperse over most of the lake
Aquatic vegetation
Low — approximately 8% mapped coverage · NAIP aerial imagery (NDVI)
Observed motorized activity
Unknown — No lake-level measurement of boat traffic is available. Legal permission to operate motors is not evidence of use.
Wildlife habitat potential
Limited — 21% forest and 8% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
How this index is calculated. The Paddling Index is a relative composite derived from lake geometry and public environmental, access, roadway and watercraft-control data. It is not a user review, a safety rating, or a prediction of an individual outing. Differences of a few points should not be treated as meaningful — an 84 and an 82 are broadly comparable. Components and weights: natural setting 30%, geometric wind exposure 25%, watercraft controls 15%, public access 15%, road isolation 15%; observed motorboat activity is weighted 0% because no defensible lake-level measurement exists. Where a component has no data the remaining weights are renormalized and the confidence rating is lowered; below Medium confidence no number is shown. Sources: MI DNR Boating Access Sites (2026-08), MI DNR Watercraft Control Areas (2026-08), USGS/MRLC NLCD Land Cover (2021), MDOT Annual Average Daily Traffic (2025) and MI DNR bathymetric survey outline (0 ft isobath). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from angler catches & active stocking

4 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colours, not photographs (provenance).

Northern Pikestocked
Walleyestocked
Crappie
Yellow Perchstocked

Fishing rules for this lake Beta

Size and daily limits for the 4 species found here — 4 open to harvest.

These are hook-and-line size, daily limit and season rules. Gear, spearing and bow fishing, spawning closures and rod limits are set by other Fisheries Orders and are not shown here.

CrappieOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).
Northern PikeOpen to harvestMinimum size: 24" · Daily limit: 2 (FO-215 · statewide inland)
Beta. This panel is newly published. Every value is parsed from the Michigan DNR fisheries orders and hand-checked against the printed digest, but the coverage and wording are still under review. If anything here disagrees with the Michigan DNR's Fisheries Orders or its printed digest, the DNR is right — the signed Fisheries Order is the legal text; the digest summarises it.
CrappieOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).
Northern PikeOpen to harvestMinimum size: 24" · Daily limit: 2 (FO-215 · statewide inland)
WalleyeOpen to harvestMinimum size: 15" · Daily limit: 5 (FO-215 · statewide inland)
Yellow PerchOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland)

From FO-206.26 (eff. 2026-04-01) / FO-215.23A (eff. 2023-09-15) / FO-254.25 (eff. 2025-10-10), checked against the 2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations digest · verified 2026-08-24. Regulations can change — Michigan DNR rules are the controlling source; verify current regulations before fishing. Official regulations

Compiled from registered Master Angler catches and Michigan DNR stockings within the last 10 years. Silhouettes are stylized and scaled to typical adult sizes relative to one another. Presence is not a promise — fishing isn’t a sure thing.

Notable catches

Master Angler program · 2016–2024

Trophy-size fish anglers caught here and registered with the DNR — what people have actually caught, distinct from what a survey netted or the state stocked below.

9Catches recorded
1Species
Crappie9 recorded · to 16.2″ · latest 2024

Biggest on record

Crappie16.2″ · 2022 · still fishing · combination
Crappie16″ · 2020
Crappie15.8″ · 2023 · trolling · artificial lure
Crappie15.2″ · 2024 · ice fishing · live bait
Crappie15.2″ · 2016 · ice fishing · minnow

Bait: live bait (3) · minnow (2) · artificial lure (1) · combination (1)
Method: ice fishing (3) · still fishing (3) · trolling (2)

Master Angler entries are fish that met the program’s minimum size and were registered by the angler — they show what this lake has produced, not what a day here will produce. A catch on record is history, not a species listing: “Fish you might catch” lists only species with current evidence. Source: Michigan DNR Master Angler data.

DNR stocking

state stocking record · 1979–2024

Fish the Michigan DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.

Walleye12,200 stocked · 2001–2024 · 11 plantings
Yellow Perch530 stocked · 2023
Northern pike130 stocked · 1979

Non-native species records

1 record

Plants & algae

  • Starry Stonewort
What does non-native mean?

USGS records identify non-native species that have been documented for this lake or its shoreline. Non-native does not necessarily mean invasive, and historical records do not confirm current presence.

Source: Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership Conservation Planner; underlying nonindigenous species records from the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database.

Bait & tackle nearby

licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distance
Bob's Guns & Tackle Shop≈1.8 mi2208 W Hwy M-43, Hastings · Google · Apple
AL & Pete's Sport Shop≈2.8 mi111 S Jefferson St, Hastings · Google · Apple
Backwoods Trading Post≈6.6 mi132 Division St, Freeport · Google · Apple
Dealers licensed by the Michigan DNR to sell live bait; listing is not an endorsement. Distances are straight-line, not driving — and call ahead: hours and stock change. Source: Michigan DNR retail bait dealer data.
Quick answers

Algonquin Lake — common questions

How deep is Algonquin Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Algonquin Lake is 45 ft. That is the deepest depth the historical survey map records, which may differ from the deepest point of the lake itself.

How big is Algonquin Lake?

Algonquin Lake covers about 242 acres in Barry County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Algonquin Lake?

The estimated mean depth of Algonquin Lake is 11 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

What fish are in Algonquin Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include northern pike, walleye, crappie, yellow perch. The page shows the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Algonquin Lake?

No public launch for Algonquin Lake appears in the Michigan DNR access data. That is not the same as the lake being private -- municipal and private ramps are not in that source.