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Crooked Lake

Missaukee County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey
12ft Max
depth
503 acres 7 contours
Paddling Index51ModestMedium confidence
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Depth scale

The lake

Survey readout

Crooked Lake is mapped to a depth of 12 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 503 acres in Missaukee County, Michigan.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey (depths read from the survey's isobath field; this lake's summary-depth column is blank in the source).

Deepest sounding
12 ft
Mean depth
4.8 ft · estimated
Surface area
503 acres
Estimated volume
2,415 acre-ft · 787M gal
Shoreline
5.87 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation
8% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access
No public DNR launch identified
Additional depth details7 contours
Contour depths
0–12 ft
Recorded point soundings
12 ft, 8 ft, 8 ft, 8 ft, 7 ft, 7 ft

98.1% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft. Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.

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Location
Missaukee County, Michigan · all 10 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.

⚠ Not for navigation

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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
44.33505, -85.28453
MI DNR lake ID
L10694
Vertical exaggeration
12.0× below the waterline; land at true scale
Basemap
USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size
2.5 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21
51 / 100ModestData confidence: Medium

Crooked Lake has a partly natural setting, moderate open-water exposure, 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 settingGood19.7 of 3565% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (41% forest, 16% wetland; 26% developed)
Geometric wind exposureGood16.1 of 29mean fetch 1,204 m · 3% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · moderate open-water fetch
Watercraft controlsNone identified8.8 of 18No special watercraft restriction identified in the current DNR source. Motors permitted, subject to general law.
Public accessNot listedNo DNR-listed access site. Township, county and road-end launches are not in this source, so this is not evidence that access is poor — the component is excluded and the remaining weights are renormalized.
Road isolationMixed6.0 of 18nearby higher-volume roads · 16 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 4,384 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 8% 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 — 41% forest and 16% 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 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 & active stocking

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

Largemouth Bass
Smallmouth Bass
Bullhead
Bluegill
Rock Bass
Hybrid Sunfish
Pumpkinseed

Historically stocked, no recent evidence: Walleye (last planted 1993), Tiger Muskellunge (last planted 1991) — not shown above.

Fishing rules for this lake Beta

Size and daily limits for the 7 species found here — 7 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.

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)
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)
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).
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).
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).

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 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 · 1997–2025

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.

19Catches recorded
7Species
Pumpkinseed8 recorded · to 10.2″
Bluegill4 recorded · to 10.6″
Largemouth Bass3 recorded · to 23.5″
Bullhead1 recorded · to 15″
Catch details by species7 species
Pumpkinseed8 recorded · to 10.2″ · latest 2025
Bluegill4 recorded · to 10.6″ · latest 2022
Largemouth Bass3 recorded · to 23.5″ · latest 2023
Bullhead1 recorded · to 15″ · latest 2012
Hybrid Sunfish1 recorded · to 10″ · latest 2023
Rock Bass1 recorded · to 11.8″ · latest 2021
Smallmouth Bass1 recorded · to 21.5″ · latest 2014

Biggest on record

Largemouth Bass23.5″ · 2016 · spincasting
Largemouth Bass22.5″ · 2023 · spincasting · live bait
Largemouth Bass22.5″ · 1997 · spincasting
Smallmouth Bass21.5″ · 2014 · trolling
Bullhead15″ · 2012 · spincasting

Bait: live bait (6) · artificial lure (3)
Method: spincasting (11) · still fishing (4) · fly fishing (1)

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 · 1980–1993

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

Walleye109,391 stocked · 1989–1993 · 4 plantings
Tiger muskellunge22,590 stocked · 1980–1991 · 9 plantings

No stockings recorded since 1993 — 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.

Public fishing access

MI DNR family-friendly fishing
ShoreBoat

Entry fee · Rustic restrooms · Dirt parking

Amenities: Beach, boat launch, camping, grills, picnic tables, playground, shelter, swimming access, walking trails

At the lake

community-mapped amenities · straight-line distance
⛻ Campgroundon the lake · 3 mapped
🚿 Restrooms / vault toileton 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
Village Tackle LLC≈3.4 mi129 N Front St, Lake City · Google · Apple
Next Door Store 5059≈6.8 mi · (231) 839-415388 N Morey Rd, Lake City · Google · Apple
Pilgrim Village Fishing Shop≈10.8 mi · (231) 775-5412181 S Lake Mitchell Dr, Cadillac · 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 12 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 503 acres in Missaukee County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Crooked Lake?

The estimated mean depth of Crooked Lake is 4.8 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

What fish are in Crooked Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, bullhead, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed. The page lists all 7 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Crooked Lake?

No public launch for Crooked 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.