Elni Lake

Ogemaw County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey

9ft Max
depth

21 acres 3 contours Public access

Paddling Index65Mixedsheltered geometry

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Depth scale

0369

The lake

Survey readout

Elni Lake is mapped to a depth of 9 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 21 acres in Ogemaw County, Michigan.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 9 ft
Mean depth: 2.8 ft · estimated
Surface area: 21 acres
Estimated volume: 61 acre-ft · 20M gal
Shoreline: 0.93 mi · lobed
Aquatic vegetation: 16% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Boat Launch

Additional depth details3 contours

Contour depths: 0–9 ft
Recorded point soundings: 9 ft

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

100% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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

Ogemaw County, Michigan · 15 nearest of 51 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.

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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: 44.40017, -84.27442
MI DNR lake ID: L13391
Vertical exaggeration: 3.0×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 1.4 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21

65 / 100MixedData confidence: High

Elni Lake has a mixed natural and 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	Mixed	11.1 of 30	52% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (42% forest, 10% wetland; 37% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Excellent	25.0 of 25	mean fetch 388 m · 86% 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 · 4 trailer spaces
Road isolation	Good	8.5 of 15	some nearby classified roads · 20 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 580 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 16% 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 — 42% forest and 10% wetland cover within 150 m of shore

Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →

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 active stocking

No recent catch, survey, or stocking data for this lake.

Historically stocked, no recent evidence: Rainbow Trout (last planted 1985) — not shown above.

Compiled from 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.

DNR stocking

state stocking record · 1985–1985

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

Rainbow trout200 stocked · 1985

No stockings recorded since 1985 — shown as history.

Source: Michigan DNR Fish Stocking Database.

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 distance

⛻ Campground≈0.8 mi

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

The Minnow Bucket @ Exit 222≈7.7 mi776 N Saint Helen Rd, St Helen · Google · Apple

Ultimate Archery & Outdoors≈11.7 mi · (989) 387-63872275 S M-33, West Branch · Google · Apple

Luzeme Hardware≈14.9 mi · (989) 826-80502244 Deeter Rd, Luzeme · 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

Elni Lake — common questions

How deep is Elni Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Elni Lake is 9 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 Elni Lake?

Elni Lake covers about 21 acres in Ogemaw County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Elni Lake?

The estimated mean depth of Elni Lake is 2.8 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

Is there public access to Elni Lake?

No public launch for Elni 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.

More lakes in Ogemaw County