Alma Lake

Mecosta County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey

16ft Max
depth

14 acres 4 contours Public access

Paddling Index87Very GoodMedium confidencemotorboats prohibited · sheltered geometry · wooded shoreline

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Depth scale

05101516

The lake

Survey readout

Alma Lake is mapped to a depth of 16 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 14 acres in Mecosta County, Michigan.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.

Deepest sounding: 16 ft
Mean depth: 6.6 ft · estimated
Surface area: 14 acres
Estimated volume: 97 acre-ft · 31M gal
Shoreline: 0.67 mi · lobed
Aquatic vegetation: 0% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Boat Launch

Additional depth details4 contours

Contour depths: 0–16 ft
Recorded point soundings: 16 ft, 15 ft

72.9% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft. Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.

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Location

Mecosta County, Michigan · 15 nearest of 27 lakes · tap a dot for that lake

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: 43.73635, -85.41705
MI DNR lake ID: L15846
Vertical exaggeration: 3.0×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 0.9 MB

Watercraft rules

county-enforced local controls · MI DNR

Motorboats prohibitedwhole lake, as mapped

Official rule details1 rule

Motorboats prohibited“Motorboats prohibited”

Where the mapped control areas and the official regulation language differ, the language governs. Official county watercraft controls.

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21

87 / 100Very GoodData confidence: Medium

Alma Lake has a heavily wooded and largely undeveloped setting, well sheltered geometry, some nearby classified roads. Watercraft controls: Motorboats prohibited.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

Component	Rating	Points of weight	Measurement
Natural setting	Excellent	30.2 of 35	88% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (81% forest, 7% wetland; 10% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Excellent	29.4 of 29	mean fetch 304 m · 100% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · short fetch in most directions
Watercraft controls	Motorboats prohibited	17.6 of 18	Motorboats prohibited
Public access	Not listed	—	No DNR-listed access site. Township, county and road-end launches are not in this source, so this is not evidence that access is poor — the component is excluded and the remaining weights are renormalized.
Road isolation	Good	9.8 of 18	some nearby classified roads · 9 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 942 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: Moderate — narrow in places — wakes would carry across parts of the lake
Aquatic vegetation: Low — approximately 0% 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: High — 81% forest and 7% wetland cover within 150 m of shore

Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →

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 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.

Non-native species records

No non-native species recorded in the available dataset. This does not confirm that no non-native species are present.

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

Paris Archery≈5.3 mi21820 Northland Dr, Pairs · Google · Apple

East Bay General Store≈6.8 mi · (231) 867-561919961 E Chippewa Dr, Chippewa Lake · Google · Apple

Even Stephens Enterprises≈8.4 mi · (231) 629-838310800 Northland Dr, Big Rapids · 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

Alma Lake — common questions

How deep is Alma Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Alma Lake is 16 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 Alma Lake?

Alma Lake covers about 14 acres in Mecosta County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Alma Lake?

The estimated mean depth of Alma Lake is 6.6 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

Is there public access to Alma Lake?

Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 1 public access site on Alma Lake, including Alma Lake.