Deer Lake
depth
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Depth scale
Survey readout
Deer Lake is mapped to a depth of 20 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 308 acres in Charlevoix 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 mapped contour
- 20 ft
- Mean depth
- 10.9 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 308 acres
- Estimated volume
- 3,347 acre-ft · 1,091M gal
- Shoreline
- 4.2 mi · lobed
- Aquatic vegetation
- 0% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- Boat Launch
Additional depth details4 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–20 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 20 ft
37.3% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 1.4% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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
- 45.16688, -84.97735
- MI DNR lake ID
- L13898
- Vertical exaggeration
- 3.0×
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.2 MB
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21Deer Lake has a substantially developed 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
| Component | Rating | Points of weight | Measurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural setting | Modest | 3.1 of 30 | 15% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (1% forest, 7% wetland; 10% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Good | 13.0 of 25 | mean fetch 1,283 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · moderate open-water fetch |
| 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 · 5 trailer spaces |
| Road isolation | Mixed | 5.3 of 15 | nearby higher-volume roads · 10 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 3,990 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 0% 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
- Limited — 1% forest and 7% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →
Fish you might catch
from angler catches7 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
Largemouth Bass
Smallmouth Bass
Crappie
Bluegill
Rock Bass
PumpkinseedFishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 7 species found here — 6 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.
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
Notable catches
Master Angler program · 1996–2025Trophy-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.
Catch details by species7 species
Biggest on record
Bait: artificial lure (8) · live bait (4) · crawler (3)
Method: spincasting (12) · trolling (6) · still fishing (4) · drift fishing (4)
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.
Bait & tackle nearby
licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distanceDeer Lake — common questions
How deep is Deer Lake?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Deer Lake is 20 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 Deer Lake?
Deer Lake covers about 308 acres in Charlevoix County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Deer Lake?
The estimated mean depth of Deer Lake is 10.9 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
What fish are in Deer Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, northern pike, smallmouth bass, bluegill, crappie, pumpkinseed. The page lists all 7 species and the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Deer Lake?
Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 1 public access site on Deer Lake, including Deer Lake.
