Arbutus Lake
depth
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Depth scale
Survey readout
Arbutus Lake is mapped to a depth of 44 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 398 acres in Grand Traverse County, Michigan.
Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.
- Deepest mapped contour
- 44 ft
- Mean depth
- 13.4 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 398 acres
- Estimated volume
- 5,350 acre-ft · 1,743M gal
- Shoreline
- 10 mi · irregular
- Aquatic vegetation
- 10% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- Boat Launch
Additional depth details9 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–44 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 44 ft
Other waters with a public launch on this map: Spider Lake, Chandler Lake. Their launches are not marked on the model — only Arbutus Lake’s own are.
43.9% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 31% is deeper than 20 ft; the survey shows 3 distinct basins. Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.
Compare with another lakeProvenance
Sources: MI DNR inland lake contours, USGS 3DEP, USDA NAIP (public domain), OpenStreetMap (ODbL), MI DNR Boat Launches.
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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
- 44.66429, -85.51959
- MI DNR lake ID
- L21429
- Vertical exaggeration
- 2.18×
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.6 MB
Watercraft rules
county-enforced local controls · MI DNROfficial rule details2 rules
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21Arbutus Lake has a mostly natural, lightly developed setting, generally sheltered geometry, substantial nearby higher-volume roads. Watercraft controls: High-speed boating prohibited in zones.
Why this score?5 components
Included in the index
| Component | Rating | Points of weight | Measurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural setting | Very Good | 20.0 of 30 | 73% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (62% forest, 9% wetland; 18% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Very Good | 19.3 of 25 | mean fetch 726 m · 18% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · generally short fetch |
| Watercraft controls | High-speed boating prohibited in zones | 9.3 of 15 | Restricted hours — designated zones only; High-speed boating prohibited — designated zones only |
| Public access | Good | 12.8 of 15 | 1 site with DNR boating-facility records · 1 ramp lane · 15 trailer spaces |
| Road isolation | Modest | 2.6 of 15 | substantial nearby higher-volume roads · 57 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 10,316 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 10% 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
- Moderate — 62% forest and 9% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →
Fish you might catch
from angler catches & active stocking8 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 Pike
Walleye
Largemouth Bass
Smallmouth Bass
Crappie
Bluegill
Rock Bass
PumpkinseedFishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 8 species found here — 6 open to harvest, 2 with a special rule or closed season.
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.
Official rule text for this lake
“the minimum size limit for Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass is 10-inches.” — FO-206
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
Notable catches
Master Angler program · 1995–2025Trophy-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.
Catch details by species8 species
Biggest on record
Bait: live bait (10) · artificial lure (7) · wax worm (3)
Method: spincasting (16) · trolling (3) · ice fishing (3) · still fishing (3)
DNR stocking
state stocking record · 2005–2005Fish the Michigan DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.
No stockings recorded since 2005 — shown as history.
At the lake
community-mapped amenities · straight-line distanceBait & tackle nearby
licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distanceArbutus Lake — common questions
How deep is Arbutus Lake?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Arbutus Lake is 44 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 Arbutus Lake?
Arbutus Lake covers about 398 acres in Grand Traverse County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Arbutus Lake?
The estimated mean depth of Arbutus Lake is 13.4 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
What fish are in Arbutus Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, northern pike, smallmouth bass, walleye, bluegill, crappie. The page lists all 8 species and the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Arbutus Lake?
Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 1 public access site on Arbutus Lake, including Arbutus Lake 4.
