Baw Beese Lake
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Depth scale
Survey readout
Baw Beese Lake is mapped to a depth of 70 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 418 acres in Hillsdale 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 mapped contour
- 70 ft
- Mean depth
- 19.2 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 418 acres
- Estimated volume
- 8,030 acre-ft · 2,616M gal
- Shoreline
- 5.31 mi · irregular
- Aquatic vegetation
- 4% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- Boat Launch
Additional depth details8 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–70 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 70 ft
45.3% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 41.6% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.
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
- 41.89821, -84.60539
- MI DNR lake ID
- L11731
- Vertical exaggeration
- 1.4×
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.4 MB
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21Baw Beese Lake has a mixed natural and developed setting, generally sheltered geometry, nearby higher-volume roads. No special watercraft restriction is identified in the current source.
Why this score?5 components
Included in the index
| Component | Rating | Points of weight | Measurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural setting | Mixed | 8.6 of 35 | 42% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (16% forest, 24% wetland; 40% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Very Good | 17.0 of 29 | mean fetch 1,121 m · 3% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · generally short fetch |
| Watercraft controls | None identified | 8.8 of 18 | No special watercraft restriction identified in the current DNR source. Motors permitted, subject to general law. |
| 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 | Mixed | 4.2 of 18 | nearby higher-volume roads · 50 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 7,912 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 4% 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 — 16% forest and 24% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →
Fish you might catch
from angler catches & active stocking11 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colours, not photographs (provenance).
Longnose Gar
Northern Pike
Common Carp
Bowfin
Channel Catfish
Bullhead
Crappie
Redear Sunfish
Bluegill
Hybrid Sunfish
PumpkinseedHistorically stocked, no recent evidence: Walleye (last planted 1986), Tiger Muskellunge (last planted 1980) — not shown above.
Fishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 11 species found here — 11 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.
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 species11 species
Biggest on record
Bait: worm (26) · live bait (7)
Method: spearfishing (63) · spincasting (34) · still fishing (32) · ice fishing (7)
DNR stocking
state stocking record · 1980–1995Fish the Michigan DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.
No stockings recorded since 1995 — shown as history.
Non-native species records
7 recordsMussels & snails
- Banded Mysterysnail
- Chinese Mysterysnail
- Zebra Mussel
Plants & algae
- Purple Loosestrife
- Starry Stonewort
Other invertebrates
- Freshwater Jellyfish
Fish
- Common Carp
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 fishingPrivate-managed · Free · Rustic restrooms · Paved parking
Amenities: Beach, boat launch, grills, picnic tables, playground
At the lake
community-mapped amenities · straight-line distanceBait & tackle nearby
licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distanceBaw Beese Lake — common questions
How deep is Baw Beese Lake?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Baw Beese Lake is 70 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 Baw Beese Lake?
Baw Beese Lake covers about 418 acres in Hillsdale County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Baw Beese Lake?
The estimated mean depth of Baw Beese Lake is 19.2 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
What fish are in Baw Beese Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include channel catfish, northern pike, bluegill, bowfin, bullhead, crappie. The page lists all 11 species and the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Baw Beese Lake?
Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 1 public access site on Baw Beese Lake, including Water Works Park.
