Burt Lake
depth
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Depth scale
Survey readout
Burt Lake is mapped to a depth of 73 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 17,386 acres in Cheboygan County, Michigan.
Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.
- Deepest sounding
- 73 ft
- Mean depth
- 25 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 17,386 acres
- Estimated volume
- 435,692 acre-ft · 141,971M gal
- Shoreline
- 35.69 mi · irregular
- Aquatic vegetation
- 0% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- Boat Launch
Additional depth details9 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–73 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 73 ft, 54 ft
Other waters with a public launch on this map: Indian River, Douglas Lake. Their launches are not marked on the model — only Burt Lake’s own are.
20.7% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 64.8% is deeper than 20 ft. Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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
- 45.46488, -84.66462
- MI DNR lake ID
- L9846
- Vertical exaggeration
- 12.0× below the waterline; land at true scale
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.2 MB
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21Burt Lake has a mixed natural and developed setting, long open-water fetch, substantial 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 | 12.3 of 30 | 50% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (23% forest, 26% wetland; 25% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Modest | 1.2 of 25 | mean fetch 9,618 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · long 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 | 2 sites with DNR boating-facility records · 5 ramp lanes · 114 trailer spaces |
| Road isolation | Modest | 1.2 of 15 | substantial nearby higher-volume roads · 237 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 13,011 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 0% 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 — 23% forest and 26% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →
Fish you might catch
from angler catches, DNR surveys & active stocking33 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colours, not photographs (provenance).
Lake Sturgeon
Muskellunge
Longnose Gar
Northern Pike
Bowfin
Channel Catfish
Walleye
Burbot
Brown Trout
Rainbow Trout
Redhorse Sucker
Silver Redhorse
Largemouth Bass
White Sucker
Smallmouth Bass
Cisco
White Bass
Brown BullheadBullhead
Black Bullhead
Black CrappieCrappie
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Rock Bass
Pumpkinseed
Green Sunfish
Logperch
Bluntnose Minnow
Spottail Shiner
Blacknose Dace
Johnny Darter
Sand ShinerHistorically stocked, no recent evidence: Atlantic Salmon (last planted 1986) — not shown above.
Fishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 33 species found here — 30 open to harvest, 3 with a special rule or closed season.
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.
Official rule text for this lake
“the minimum size limit on Muskellunge is 46-inches.” — FO-206
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 · 1994–2025Trophy-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 species18 species
Biggest on record
Bait: live bait (52) · artificial lure (32) · minnow (30)
Method: ice fishing (95) · still fishing (55) · trolling (50) · spincasting (46)
Fishery
DNR SFR 2018-245Gamefish Walleye 248 · Northern Pike 56 · Smallmouth Bass 49 · Brown Trout 38
Panfish Yellow Perch 898 · Rock Bass 191 · Bluegill 11
All survey species27 species
Gamefish
Panfish
Bullhead & catfish
Forage & nongame
DNR stocking
state stocking record · 1983–2025Fish the Michigan DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.
Complete stocking history3 older species
Non-native species records
3 recordsMussels & snails
- Zebra Mussel
Other invertebrates
- Freshwater Jellyfish
Fish
- Brown Trout
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 distanceBurt Lake — common questions
How deep is Burt Lake?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Burt Lake is 73 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 Burt Lake?
Burt Lake covers about 17,386 acres in Cheboygan County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Burt Lake?
The estimated mean depth of Burt Lake is 25 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
What fish are in Burt Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include brown trout, burbot, channel catfish, lake sturgeon, largemouth bass, muskellunge. The page lists all 33 species and the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Burt Lake?
Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 3 public access sites on Burt Lake, including Burt Lake.
