Bird Lake
depth
Get directions
Depth scale
Survey readout
Bird Lake is mapped to a depth of 64 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 123 acres in Hillsdale County, Michigan.
Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.
- Deepest sounding
- 64 ft
- Mean depth
- 30.2 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 123 acres
- Estimated volume
- 3,713 acre-ft · 1,210M gal
- Shoreline
- 2.59 mi · irregular
- Aquatic vegetation
- 1% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- Boat Launch
Additional depth details10 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–64 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 64 ft, 64 ft, 38 ft, 27 ft
19.1% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 70.1% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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.
⚠ 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
- 41.82874, -84.52864
- MI DNR lake ID
- L12915
- Vertical exaggeration
- 1.5×
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.2 MB
Watercraft rules
county-enforced local controls · MI DNROfficial rule details1 rule
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21Bird Lake has a substantially developed setting, generally sheltered geometry, some nearby classified roads. Watercraft controls: Whole-lake slow-no-wake.
Why this score?5 components
Included in the index
| Component | Rating | Points of weight | Measurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural setting | Modest | 0.6 of 30 | 23% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (10% forest, 13% wetland; 56% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Very Good | 20.3 of 25 | mean fetch 664 m · 21% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · generally short fetch |
| Watercraft controls | Whole-lake slow-no-wake | 13.8 of 15 | Slow — no wake |
| Public access | Good | 12.8 of 15 | 1 site with DNR boating-facility records · 1 ramp lane · 7 trailer spaces |
| Road isolation | Good | 9.1 of 15 | some nearby classified roads · 16 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 187 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 1% 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 — 10% forest and 13% 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).
Rainbow Troutstocked
Crappie
Redear Sunfishstocked
Bluegill
PumpkinseedFishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 5 species found here — 5 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 · 2021–2025Trophy-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) · artificial lure (2)
Method: spincasting (4) · still fishing (2) · ice fishing (2)
DNR stocking
state stocking record · 1991–2025Fish the Michigan DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.
Non-native species records
1 recordMussels & snails
- Zebra Mussel
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 distanceBait & tackle nearby
licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distanceBird Lake — common questions
How deep is Bird Lake?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Bird Lake is 64 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 Bird Lake?
Bird Lake covers about 123 acres in Hillsdale County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Bird Lake?
The estimated mean depth of Bird Lake is 30.2 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
What fish are in Bird Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include rainbow trout, bluegill, crappie, pumpkinseed, redear sunfish. The page shows the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Bird Lake?
Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 1 public access site on Bird Lake, including Bird Lake.
