Clear Lake
depth
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Depth scale
Survey readout
Clear Lake is mapped to a depth of 31 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 235 acres in St. Joseph County, Michigan.
Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.
- Deepest sounding
- 31 ft
- Mean depth
- 11.9 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 235 acres
- Estimated volume
- 2,793 acre-ft · 910M gal
- Shoreline
- 3.78 mi · irregular
- Aquatic vegetation
- 7% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- Boat Launch
Additional depth details6 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–31 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 31 ft, 30 ft, 30 ft
Other waters with a public launch on this map: Mud Lake. Their launches are not marked on the model — only Clear Lake’s own are.
53% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 29.1% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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.
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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
- 41.94778, -85.73131
- MI DNR lake ID
- L23887
- Vertical exaggeration
- 2.63×
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.3 MB
Watercraft rules
county-enforced local controls · MI DNROfficial rule details1 rule
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21Clear Lake has a partly natural 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 | Good | 13.5 of 30 | 58% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (44% forest, 11% wetland; 33% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Very Good | 15.1 of 25 | mean fetch 1,045 m · 0% 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 | 2 sites with DNR boating-facility records · 2 ramp lanes · 13 trailer spaces |
| Road isolation | Good | 6.7 of 15 | some nearby classified roads · 45 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 2,794 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 7% 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 — 44% forest and 11% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →
Fish you might catch
from angler catches, DNR surveys & active stocking11 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colours, not photographs (provenance).
Northern Pike
Common Carp
Channel Catfish
Walleyestocked
Largemouth Bass
Black CrappieCrappie
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Hybrid Sunfishstocked
PumpkinseedHistorically stocked, no recent evidence: Tiger Muskellunge (last planted 1980) — not shown above.
Fishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 11 species found here — 11 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 · 2010–2023Trophy-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: artificial lure (2) · minnow (2) · wax worm (2)
Method: still fishing (8) · trolling (3) · spincasting (3) · ice fishing (2)
Fishery
DNR SFR 2010-104Gamefish
Panfish
DNR stocking
state stocking record · 1979–2024Fish 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
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 distanceBait & tackle nearby
licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distanceClear Lake — common questions
How deep is Clear Lake?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Clear Lake is 31 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 Clear Lake?
Clear Lake covers about 235 acres in St. Joseph County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Clear Lake?
The estimated mean depth of Clear Lake is 11.9 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
What fish are in Clear Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include channel catfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, black crappie, bluegill. The page lists all 11 species and the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Clear Lake?
Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 1 public access site on Clear Lake, including Clear Lake.
