Baptist Lake
depth
Get directions
Depth scale
Survey readout
Baptist Lake is mapped to a depth of 65 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 85 acres in Newaygo 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
- 65 ft
- Mean depth
- 22.3 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 85 acres
- Estimated volume
- 1,886 acre-ft · 615M gal
- Shoreline
- 1.76 mi · lobed
- Aquatic vegetation
- 0% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- No public DNR launch identified
Additional depth details9 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–65 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 65 ft
30.1% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 53.3% is deeper than 20 ft. Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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.
⚠ Not for navigationSpot an error? Send a correction
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
- 43.33378, -85.58183
- MI DNR lake ID
- L16026
- Vertical exaggeration
- 1.47×
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.1 MB
Watercraft rules
county-enforced local controls · MI DNROfficial rule details2 rules
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21Baptist Lake has a substantially developed setting, generally sheltered geometry, some nearby classified roads. Watercraft controls: Restricted hours.
Why this score?5 components
Included in the index
| Component | Rating | Points of weight | Measurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural setting | Modest | 2.6 of 35 | 29% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (18% forest, 9% wetland; 43% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Very Good | 24.9 of 29 | mean fetch 602 m · 17% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · generally short fetch |
| Watercraft controls | Restricted hours | 10.9 of 18 | Restricted hours; High-speed boating prohibited — designated zones only |
| 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 | 8.8 of 18 | some nearby classified roads · 11 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 1,983 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 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
- Limited — 18% forest and 9% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →
Fish you might catch
from angler catches & active stocking5 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colours, not photographs (provenance).
Walleyestocked
Crappie
Bluegill
Rock Bass
PumpkinseedHistorically stocked, no recent evidence: Flathead Catfish (last planted 1995), Rainbow Trout (last planted 1991) — not shown above.
Fishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 5 species found here — 4 open to harvest, 1 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 daily possession limit is zero (0) for Walleye, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, and Bullhead.” — 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 · 2018–2025Trophy-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.
Biggest on record
Bait: live bait (6) · combination (1) · artificial lure (1)
Method: still fishing (4) · ice fishing (4) · spincasting (1)
DNR stocking
state stocking record · 1988–2025Fish the Michigan DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.
Non-native species records
2 recordsOther invertebrates
- Freshwater Jellyfish
Fish
- Flathead CatfishMichigan DNR stocking records also document Flathead Catfish stocking in this lake.
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.
Public fishing access
MI DNR family-friendly fishingCounty-managed · Entry fee · Rustic restrooms · Dirt parking
Amenities: Boat ramp, swimming, picnic tables
“This 85-acre lake is approximately 60 feet deep and offers warmwater fish.”
Bait & tackle nearby
licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distanceBaptist Lake — common questions
How deep is Baptist Lake?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Baptist Lake is 65 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 Baptist Lake?
Baptist Lake covers about 85 acres in Newaygo County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Baptist Lake?
The estimated mean depth of Baptist Lake is 22.3 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
What fish are in Baptist Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include walleye, bluegill, crappie, pumpkinseed, rock bass. The page shows the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Baptist Lake?
No public launch for Baptist 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.
