Chamberlain Lake

Oakland County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey

24ft Max
depth

10 acres 6 contours Public access 21% weedy

Paddling Index81Very Goodsheltered geometry · wooded shoreline

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Depth scale

02510152024

The lake

Survey readout

Chamberlain Lake is mapped to a depth of 24 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 10 acres in Oakland County, Michigan.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.

Deepest sounding: 24 ft
Mean depth: 12.4 ft · estimated
Surface area: 10 acres
Estimated volume: 125 acre-ft · 41M gal
Shoreline: 0.88 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 21% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Boat Launch · Rec Passport
In: Bald Mountain Recreation Area · 4,519 ac

Additional depth details6 contours

Contour depths: 0–24 ft
Recorded point soundings: 24 ft, 20 ft

34% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 18.9% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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

Oakland County, Michigan · 15 nearest of 116 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.

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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: 42.78370, -83.21518
MI DNR lake ID: L7790
Vertical exaggeration: 2.86×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 0.9 MB

Paddling

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

81 / 100Very GoodData confidence: High

Chamberlain Lake has a heavily wooded and largely undeveloped setting, well sheltered geometry, 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	Excellent	28.6 of 30	91% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (18% forest, 73% wetland; 6% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Excellent	25.0 of 25	mean fetch 164 m · 100% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · short fetch in most directions
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 · 8 trailer spaces
Road isolation	Good	7.3 of 15	some nearby classified roads · 42 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 9,093 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: High — narrow throughout — passing wakes would reach most of the water
Aquatic vegetation: Moderate — approximately 21% 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 — 18% forest and 73% 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

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.

Bait & tackle nearby

licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distance

NY Petroleum≈1.3 mi415 S Broadway St, Lake Orion · Google · Apple

Jay's Big Bass Outdoors Inc≈10.7 mi4250 Dixie Hwy, Waterford · Google · Apple

The Bait Shop LLC≈12.2 mi2574 AirPort Rd, Waterford · 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

Chamberlain Lake — common questions

How deep is Chamberlain Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Chamberlain Lake is 24 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 Chamberlain Lake?

Chamberlain Lake covers about 10 acres in Oakland County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Chamberlain Lake?

The estimated mean depth of Chamberlain Lake is 12.4 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

Is there public access to Chamberlain Lake?

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