Brush Lake
depth
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Depth scale
Survey readout
Brush Lake is mapped to a depth of 23 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 7.8 acres in Luce County, Michigan.
Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.
- Deepest sounding
- 23 ft
- Mean depth
- 9.5 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 7.8 acres
- Estimated volume
- 74 acre-ft · 24M gal
- Shoreline
- 0.46 mi · round
- Aquatic vegetation
- 10% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- No public DNR launch identified
Additional depth details6 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–23 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 23 ft, 19 ft
55.2% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 7.8% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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
- 46.59945, -85.66491
- MI DNR lake ID
- L29707
- Vertical exaggeration
- 2.9×
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 0.5 MB
Watercraft rules
county-enforced local controls · MI DNROfficial rule details1 rule
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21Brush Lake has a mostly natural, lightly developed setting, well sheltered geometry, little nearby major-road exposure. Watercraft controls: Motorboats prohibited.
Why this score?5 components
Included in the index
| Component | Rating | Points of weight | Measurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural setting | Very Good | 23.9 of 30 | 74% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (24% forest, 51% wetland; 0% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Excellent | 25.0 of 25 | mean fetch 188 m · 100% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · short fetch in most directions |
| Watercraft controls | Motorboats prohibited | 15.0 of 15 | Motorboats prohibited |
| Public access | Excellent | 15.0 of 15 | 1 site with DNR boating-facility records · carry-in launch |
| Road isolation | Excellent | 15.0 of 15 | relatively isolated from major roads · 1 MDOT-classified segment within 1.2 km, peak 287 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
- Moderate — narrow in places — wakes would carry across parts of the lake
- Aquatic vegetation
- Low — approximately 10% 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
- High — 24% forest and 51% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →
Fish you might catch
from active stockingNo recent catch, survey, or stocking data for this lake.
Historically stocked, no recent evidence: Splake (last planted 1996), Rainbow Trout (last planted 1989), Brook Trout (last planted 1988) — not shown above.
DNR stocking
state stocking record · 1979–1996Fish the Michigan DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.
No stockings recorded since 1996 — shown as history.
Non-native species records
No non-native species recorded in the available dataset. This does not confirm that no non-native species are present.
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 distanceBrush Lake — common questions
How deep is Brush Lake?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Brush Lake is 23 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 Brush Lake?
Brush Lake covers about 7.8 acres in Luce County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Brush Lake?
The estimated mean depth of Brush Lake is 9.5 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
Is there public access to Brush Lake?
No public launch for Brush 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.
