Fire Lake
depth
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Survey readout
Fire Lake is mapped to a depth of 40 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 131 acres in Iron County, Michigan.
Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.
- Deepest sounding
- 40 ft
- Mean depth
- 11 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 131 acres
- Estimated volume
- 1,434 acre-ft · 467M gal
- Shoreline
- 3.97 mi · irregular
- Aquatic vegetation
- 2% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- Boat Launch
Additional depth details10 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–40 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 40 ft, 36 ft, 20 ft, 10 ft
56.1% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 19.2% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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
- 46.19372, -88.46829
- MI DNR lake ID
- L45648
- Vertical exaggeration
- 2.32×
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.6 MB
Watercraft rules
county-enforced local controls · MI DNROfficial rule details1 rule
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21Fire Lake has a heavily wooded and largely undeveloped setting, well sheltered geometry, some nearby classified roads. Watercraft controls: High-speed boating prohibited.
Why this score?5 components
Included in the index
| Component | Rating | Points of weight | Measurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural setting | Excellent | 24.1 of 30 | 81% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (52% forest, 26% wetland; 11% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Excellent | 22.9 of 25 | mean fetch 554 m · 52% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · short fetch in most directions |
| Watercraft controls | High-speed boating prohibited | 12.8 of 15 | High-speed boating prohibited |
| Public access | Good | 12.8 of 15 | 1 site with DNR boating-facility records · 1 ramp lane · 3 trailer spaces |
| Road isolation | Good | 8.8 of 15 | some nearby classified roads · 5 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 956 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 2% 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 — 52% forest and 26% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →
Fish you might catch
from angler catches & active stocking2 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colours, not photographs (provenance).
Smallmouth Bassstocked
BluegillHistorically stocked, no recent evidence: Rainbow Trout (last planted 2000), Walleye (last planted 1984) — not shown above.
Fishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 2 species found here — 1 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
“the minimum size limit for Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass is 18-inches. The daily possession limit for Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass is one (1).” — 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 · 2023One Master Angler catch is on record for this lake: 10.2″ bluegill in 2023 on live bait.
DNR stocking
state stocking record · 1983–2000Fish the Michigan DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.
No stockings recorded since 2000 — 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.
Bait & tackle nearby
licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distanceFire Lake — common questions
How deep is Fire Lake?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Fire Lake is 40 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 Fire Lake?
Fire Lake covers about 131 acres in Iron County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Fire Lake?
The estimated mean depth of Fire Lake is 11 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
What fish are in Fire Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include smallmouth bass, bluegill. The page shows the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Fire Lake?
Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 1 public access site on Fire Lake, including Fire Lake.
