Beaufort Lake

Baraga County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey

30ft Max
depth

442 acres 6 contours Public access

Paddling Index58Mixedwooded shoreline

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Depth scale

051015202530

The lake

Survey readout

Beaufort Lake is mapped to a depth of 30 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 442 acres in Baraga 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: 30 ft
Mean depth: 13.2 ft · estimated
Surface area: 442 acres
Estimated volume: 5,819 acre-ft · 1,896M gal
Shoreline: 4.75 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 3% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Boat Launch

Additional depth details6 contours

Contour depths: 0–30 ft
Recorded point soundings: 30 ft

43.6% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 30.7% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.

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Location

Baraga County, Michigan · 15 nearest of 16 lakes and 1 bay · 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.

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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: 46.53707, -88.18828
MI DNR lake ID: L38128
Vertical exaggeration: 2.66×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.6 MB

Paddling

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

58 / 100MixedData confidence: High

Beaufort Lake has a mostly natural, lightly developed setting, moderate open-water exposure, some nearby classified 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	Very Good	18.9 of 30	66% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (40% forest, 25% wetland; 14% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Good	11.9 of 25	mean fetch 1,421 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · moderate open-water fetch
Watercraft controls	None identified	7.5 of 15	No special watercraft restriction identified in the current DNR source. Motors permitted, subject to general law.
Public access	Good	12.8 of 15	1 site with DNR boating-facility records · 1 ramp lane · 3 trailer spaces
Road isolation	Good	6.8 of 15	some nearby classified roads · 12 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 3,548 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 3% 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 — 40% forest and 25% 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 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, DNR surveys & active stocking

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

Burbot

White Sucker

Smallmouth Bassstocked

Black Bullhead

Yellow Perchstocked

Rock Bass

Iowa Darter

Historically stocked, no recent evidence: Walleye (last planted 2003) — not shown above.

Fishing rules for this lake Beta

Size and daily limits for the 7 species found here — 7 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.

Black BullheadOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no possession limit (2026 DNR digest · all other species)

BurbotOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 5 (2026 DNR digest · Burbot)

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.

Black BullheadOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no possession limit (2026 DNR digest · all other species)

BurbotOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 5 (2026 DNR digest · Burbot)

Iowa DarterOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no possession limit (2026 DNR digest · all other species)

Rock BassOpen 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).

Smallmouth BassOpen to harvestMinimum size: 14" · Daily limit: 5 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 5 is in any combination of Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, not 5 of each (FO-215.23A).

White SuckerOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no possession limit (2026 DNR digest · all other species)

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, Michigan DNR fishery surveys 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 · 2003–2020

Master Angler catches recorded on this lake — too few to show a pattern, so they are listed individually.

Rock Bass11.8″ · 2020

Rock Bass2003 · spincasting · night crawlers

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.

Fishery

18Fish sampled

4Species

Forage & nongame

Iowa Darter13 caught

Black Bullhead2 caught

Burbot2 caught

White Sucker1 caught

Stocking: of Natural Resources Status of the Fishery Resource Report 0431, 2024 Page 2 History Stocking Historical records indicate early fisheries management of Beaufort Lake began in 1905 when Lake Trout and Walleye were stocked (Table 1).

This survey reported catch counts without lengths. Source: Michigan DNR Status of the Fishery Resource report (counts summed across survey years).

DNR stocking

state stocking record · 1979–2003

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

Walleye425,495 stocked · 1979–2003 · 8 plantings

Yellow Perch12,055 stocked · 1991–1993 · 4 plantings

Smallmouth bass272 stocked · 1983

No stockings recorded since 2003 — shown as history.

Source: Michigan DNR Fish Stocking Database.

Non-native species records

3 records

Mussels & snails

Chinese Mysterysnail

Plants & algae

Narrow-leaved Cattail
Yellow Iris

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.

At the lake

community-mapped amenities · straight-line distance

⛻ Campground≈0.1 mi

🚿 Restrooms / vault toileton the lake

From OpenStreetMap community mapping — shown only where something is mapped; an amenity missing here may still exist. Distances are straight-line. Verify before you rely on it. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).

Bait & tackle nearby

licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distance

Champion Sport & Bait≈10.6 mi4276 US 41, Champion · 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

Beaufort Lake — common questions

How deep is Beaufort Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Beaufort Lake is 30 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 Beaufort Lake?

Beaufort Lake covers about 442 acres in Baraga County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Beaufort Lake?

The estimated mean depth of Beaufort Lake is 13.2 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

What fish are in Beaufort Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include burbot, smallmouth bass, black bullhead, rock bass, yellow perch, iowa darter. The page lists all 7 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Beaufort Lake?

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