Cub Lake
depth
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Depth scale
Survey readout
Cub Lake is mapped to a depth of 43 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 113 acres in Hillsdale County, Michigan.
Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.
- Deepest sounding
- 43 ft
- Mean depth
- 15.7 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 113 acres
- Estimated volume
- 1,773 acre-ft · 578M gal
- Shoreline
- 3.42 mi · irregular
- Aquatic vegetation
- 26% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- Boat Launch
Additional depth details11 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–43 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 43 ft, 43 ft, 41 ft, 28 ft
41.5% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 38.5% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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
- 41.81624, -84.63865
- MI DNR lake ID
- L7726
- Vertical exaggeration
- 2.22×
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.4 MB
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21Cub Lake has a mostly natural, lightly developed 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 | Very Good | 21.4 of 30 | 73% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (38% forest, 35% wetland; 12% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Excellent | 25.0 of 25 | mean fetch 445 m · 66% 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 · 7 trailer spaces |
| Road isolation | Good | 6.6 of 15 | some nearby classified roads · 15 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 2,071 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
- Moderate — approximately 26% 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 — 38% forest and 35% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →
Fish you might catch
from angler catches, DNR surveys & active stocking23 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
Bowfin
Golden Redhorse
Largemouth Bass
Brown Bullhead
Black CrappieCrappie
Grass Pickerel
Yellow Bullhead
Lake Chubsucker
Redear Sunfish
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Warmouth
Hybrid Sunfish
Pumpkinseed
Tadpole Madtom
Blackchin Shiner
Blacknose Shiner
Blackstripe Topminnow
Iowa Darter
Mimic Shiner
Sand ShinerFishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 23 species found here — 23 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 · 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.
Biggest on record
Bait: live bait (2) · artificial lure (1) · combination (1) · worm (1)
Method: spincasting (2) · ice fishing (2) · still fishing (1) · trolling (1)
Fishery
DNR SFR 2023-354Gamefish Largemouth Bass 56 · Grass Pickerel 3 · Bowfin 2 · Northern Pike 1
Panfish Black Crappie 1,991 · Redear Sunfish 1,989 · Bluegill 516
All survey species22 species
Gamefish
Panfish
Bullhead & catfish
Forage & nongame
DNR stocking
state stocking record · 1985–1991Fish the Michigan DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.
No stockings recorded since 1991 — 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.
At the lake
community-mapped amenities · straight-line distanceBait & tackle nearby
licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distanceCub Lake — common questions
How deep is Cub Lake?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Cub Lake is 43 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 Cub Lake?
Cub Lake covers about 113 acres in Hillsdale County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Cub Lake?
The estimated mean depth of Cub Lake is 15.7 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
What fish are in Cub Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, northern pike, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin, brown bullhead. The page lists all 23 species and the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Cub Lake?
Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 1 public access site on Cub Lake, including Cub Lake.
