De Cheau Lake
depth
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Depth scale
Survey readout
De Cheau Lake is mapped to a depth of 25 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 44 acres in Montmorency County, Michigan.
Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.
- Deepest mapped contour
- 25 ft
- Mean depth
- 3.7 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 44 acres
- Estimated volume
- 164 acre-ft · 53M gal
- Shoreline
- 1.64 mi · irregular
- Aquatic vegetation
- 24% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- Boat Launch
Additional depth details5 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–25 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 25 ft
85.7% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 6.6% is deeper than 20 ft. Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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
- 45.03535, -84.18250
- MI DNR lake ID
- L12040
- Vertical exaggeration
- 2.83×
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.4 MB
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21De Cheau Lake has a heavily wooded and largely undeveloped setting, well sheltered geometry, little nearby major-road exposure. 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 | 25.2 of 30 | 84% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (20% forest, 58% wetland; 12% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Excellent | 25.0 of 25 | mean fetch 358 m · 96% 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 · 1 trailer space |
| Road isolation | Excellent | 15.0 of 15 | relatively isolated from major roads · 5 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 26 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
- Moderate — narrow in places — wakes would carry across parts of the lake
- Aquatic vegetation
- Moderate — approximately 24% 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 — 20% forest and 58% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →
Fish you might catch
from angler catches2 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
CrappieFishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 2 species found here — 2 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 · 2023–2025Master Angler catches recorded on this lake — too few to show a pattern, so they are listed individually.
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 fishingRustic restrooms
Amenities: Boat launch
“Most of the shoreline is shallow water and a large part has no brush or low branches making it a safe place to take young children who want to learn to case. Normally there are not many boats on the lake so there is rarely a problem with wakes created by them - it's a great spot for those fishing hook-and-bobber. One of the best places to fish is near the boat launch.”
At the lake
community-mapped amenities · straight-line distanceBait & tackle nearby
licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distanceDe Cheau Lake — common questions
How deep is De Cheau Lake?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of De Cheau Lake is 25 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 De Cheau Lake?
De Cheau Lake covers about 44 acres in Montmorency County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of De Cheau Lake?
The estimated mean depth of De Cheau Lake is 3.7 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
What fish are in De Cheau Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, crappie. The page shows the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to De Cheau Lake?
Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 1 public access site on De Cheau Lake, including De Cheau Lake.
