Brandywine Lake

Van Buren County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey

20ft Max
depth

73 acres 4 contours Public access

Paddling Index69Mixedrestricted hours · sheltered geometry

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Depth scale

05101520

The lake

Survey readout

Brandywine Lake is mapped to a depth of 20 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 73 acres in Van Buren 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: 20 ft
Mean depth: 9.9 ft · estimated
Surface area: 73 acres
Estimated volume: 720 acre-ft · 235M gal
Shoreline: 1.41 mi · round
Aquatic vegetation: 8% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Boat Launch

Additional depth details4 contours

Contour depths: 0–20 ft
Recorded point soundings: 20 ft

55.3% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 11.9% is deeper than 20 ft. Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.

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Location

Van Buren County, Michigan · 15 nearest of 36 lakes · 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.

⚠ Not for navigation

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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: 42.34897, -85.85501
MI DNR lake ID: L30624
Vertical exaggeration: 3.0×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.1 MB

Watercraft rules

county-enforced local controls · MI DNR

Restricted hourswhole lake, as mapped

Official rule details1 rule

Restricted hours“Hours for high-speed boating and water skiing”

Where the mapped control areas and the official regulation language differ, the language governs. Official county watercraft controls.

Paddling

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

69 / 100MixedData confidence: High

Brandywine Lake has a partly natural setting, well 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	Good	16.4 of 30	64% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (27% forest, 38% wetland; 30% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Excellent	22.3 of 25	mean fetch 552 m · 26% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · short fetch in most directions
Watercraft controls	Restricted hours	9.3 of 15	Restricted hours
Public access	Good	12.8 of 15	1 site with DNR boating-facility records · 1 ramp lane · 6 trailer spaces
Road isolation	Good	8.1 of 15	some nearby classified roads · 19 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 1,097 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 8% 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 — 27% forest and 38% 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.

Non-native species records

1 record

Fish

Flathead Catfish

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≈0.3 mi

🚿 Restrooms / vault toileton the lake · 4 mapped

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

D & R Sports Center Inc≈8.2 mi8178 W Main St, Kalamazoo · Google · Apple

Swan Lake Store LLC≈9.7 mi658 42nd St, Allegan · Google · Apple

Plainwell Ace Hardware≈12.7 mi · (269) 225-1061135 N Anderson, Planwell · 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

Brandywine Lake — common questions

How deep is Brandywine Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Brandywine Lake is 20 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 Brandywine Lake?

Brandywine Lake covers about 73 acres in Van Buren County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Brandywine Lake?

The estimated mean depth of Brandywine Lake is 9.9 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

Is there public access to Brandywine Lake?

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