Michigan Lake Depths All Michigan lakes
NESW

Crooked Lake

Emmet County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey
50ft Max
depth
2,424 acres 9 contours Public access
Paddling Index34Modest
Get directions

Depth scale

The lake

Survey readout

Crooked Lake is mapped to a depth of 50 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 2,424 acres in Emmet County, Michigan.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.

Deepest sounding
50 ft
Mean depth
8.9 ft · estimated
Surface area
2,424 acres
Estimated volume
21,579 acre-ft · 7,032M gal
Shoreline
13.18 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation
5% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access
Boat Launch
Additional depth details9 contours
Contour depths
0–50 ft
Recorded point soundings
50 ft, 32 ft, 22 ft

Other waters with a public launch on this map: Round Lake. Their launches are not marked on the model — only Crooked Lake’s own are.

72.7% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 16.9% is deeper than 20 ft. Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.

Compare with another lake
Location
Emmet County, Michigan · all 10 lakes and 1 bay · 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

Spot an error? Send a correction

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
45.41459, -84.83002
MI DNR lake ID
L1867
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 2026-08-21
34 / 100ModestData confidence: High

Crooked Lake has a mixed natural and developed setting, notable open-water exposure, substantial nearby higher-volume roads. No special watercraft restriction is identified in the current source.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

ComponentRatingPoints of weightMeasurement
Natural settingMixed10.2 of 3048% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (6% forest, 40% wetland; 32% developed)
Geometric wind exposureMixed2.8 of 25mean fetch 3,435 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · long fetch in some directions
Watercraft controlsNone identified7.5 of 15No special watercraft restriction identified in the current DNR source. Motors permitted, subject to general law.
Public accessGood12.8 of 151 site with DNR boating-facility records · 1 ramp lane · 10 trailer spaces
Road isolationModest0.8 of 15substantial nearby higher-volume roads · 126 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 15,659 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 5% 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 — 6% forest and 40% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
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.

Fish you might catch

from angler catches, DNR surveys & active stocking

13 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colours, not photographs (provenance).

Longnose Gar
Northern Pike
Common Carp
Largemouth Bass
Smallmouth Bass
Bullhead
Crappie
Redear Sunfish
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Rock Bass
Hybrid Sunfish
Pumpkinseed

Historically stocked, no recent evidence: Walleye (last planted 2006), Brown Trout (last planted 1988) — not shown above.

Fishing rules for this lake Beta

Size and daily limits for the 13 species found here — 12 open to harvest, 1 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.

Northern PikeSpecial rulesNamed in a fisheries order for this lake — see the rule text below
BluegillOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).
Beta. This panel is newly published. Every value is parsed from the Michigan DNR fisheries orders and hand-checked against the printed digest, but the coverage and wording are still under review. If anything here disagrees with the Michigan DNR's Fisheries Orders or its printed digest, the DNR is right — the signed Fisheries Order is the legal text; the digest summarises it.
BluegillOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).
BullheadOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no possession limit (2026 DNR digest · all other species)
Common CarpOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no possession limit (2026 DNR digest · all other species)
CrappieOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).
Hybrid SunfishOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).
Largemouth BassOpen to harvestMinimum size: 14" · Daily limit: 5 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 5 is in any combination of Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, not 5 of each (FO-215.23A).
Longnose GarOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no possession limit (2026 DNR digest · all other species)
Northern PikeSpecial rulesNamed in a fisheries order for this lake — see the rule text below
PumpkinseedOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).
Redear SunfishOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).
Rock BassOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).
Smallmouth BassOpen to harvestMinimum size: 14" · Daily limit: 5 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 5 is in any combination of Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, not 5 of each (FO-215.23A).
Yellow PerchOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland)
Official rule text for this lake
“no size limit on Northern Pike and up to five (5) Northern Pike may be retained in the daily possession limit with only one (1) 24-inches or greater.” — 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

Compiled from registered Master Angler catches, Michigan DNR fishery surveys and Michigan DNR stockings within the last 10 years. Silhouettes are stylized and scaled to typical adult sizes relative to one another. Presence is not a promise — fishing isn’t a sure thing.

Notable catches

Master Angler program · 1994–2025

Trophy-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.

113Catches recorded
13Species
Rock Bass37 recorded · to 12.5″
Bluegill24 recorded · to 11.8″
Pumpkinseed19 recorded · to 9.9″
Smallmouth Bass12 recorded · to 22.1″
Catch details by species13 species
Rock Bass37 recorded · to 12.5″ · latest 2025
Bluegill24 recorded · to 11.8″ · latest 2025
Pumpkinseed19 recorded · to 9.9″ · latest 2025
Smallmouth Bass12 recorded · to 22.1″ · latest 2025
Longnose Gar5 recorded · to 45″ · latest 2025
Bullhead4 recorded · to 14.2″ · latest 2025
Yellow Perch3 recorded · to 15″ · latest 2022
Common Carp2 recorded · to 34.1″ · latest 2004
Crappie2 recorded · to 14.6″ · latest 2018
Northern Pike2 recorded · to 42.5″ · latest 2024
Hybrid Sunfish1 recorded · to 10.7″ · latest 2025
Largemouth Bass1 recorded · to 22″ · latest 2014
Redear Sunfish1 recorded · to 10.2″ · latest 2005

Biggest on record

Longnose Gar45″ · 2025 · spearfishing
Longnose Gar43.5″ · 2016 · spincasting
Northern Pike42.5″ · 2018 · spincasting
Northern Pike40.5″ · 2024 · spincasting · artificial lure
Longnose Gar37.2″ · 2023 · trolling · artificial lure

Bait: artificial lure (23) · live bait (23) · worm (9)
Method: spincasting (45) · still fishing (29) · trolling (14) · ice fishing (11)

Master Angler entries are fish that met the program’s minimum size and were registered by the angler — they show what this lake has produced, not what a day here will produce. A catch on record is history, not a species listing: “Fish you might catch” lists only species with current evidence. Source: Michigan DNR Master Angler data.

DNR stocking

state stocking record · 1979–2006

Fish the Michigan DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.

Walleye603,020 stocked · 1979–2006 · 21 plantings
Brown trout127,410 stocked · 1988

No stockings recorded since 2006 — shown as history.

At the lake

community-mapped amenities · straight-line distance
⛻ Campground≈1.2 mi
🚿 Restrooms / vault toileton the lake · 3 mapped
🏖 Beach / swim areaon the lake · 5 mapped
🎢 Playgroundon the lake
🥪 Picnic areaon the lake
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
Cedar Swamp Sporting Goods II≈2.2 mi2429 N US 31 Hwy, Petoskey · Google · Apple
Young's Bait & Party Store≈2.9 mi7399 Burr Ave, Alanson · Google · Apple
The Party Shoppe≈3.5 mi · (231) 487-07341154 N Ellsworth Rd, Petoskey · 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

Crooked Lake — common questions

How deep is Crooked Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Crooked Lake is 50 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 Crooked Lake?

Crooked Lake covers about 2,424 acres in Emmet County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Crooked Lake?

The estimated mean depth of Crooked Lake is 8.9 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

What fish are in Crooked Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, northern pike, smallmouth bass, bluegill, bullhead, crappie. The page lists all 13 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Crooked Lake?

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