Golden Lake
depth
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Depth scale
Survey readout
Golden Lake is mapped to a depth of 100 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 292 acres in Iron County, Michigan.
Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.
- Deepest mapped contour
- 100 ft
- Mean depth
- 30.5 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 292 acres
- Estimated volume
- 8,890 acre-ft · 2,897M gal
- Shoreline
- 3.76 mi · irregular
- Aquatic vegetation
- 1% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- Boat Launch
Additional depth details20 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–100 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 100 ft
28.9% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 54.6% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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
- 46.17389, -88.88732
- MI DNR lake ID
- L43896
- Vertical exaggeration
- 1.4×
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.7 MB
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21Golden Lake has a mostly natural, lightly developed setting, moderate open-water exposure, 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 | 24.7 of 35 | 75% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (62% forest, 12% wetland; 18% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Good | 12.9 of 29 | mean fetch 1,560 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · moderate open-water fetch |
| Watercraft controls | None identified | 8.8 of 18 | No special watercraft restriction identified in the current DNR source. Motors permitted, subject to general law. |
| Public access | Not listed | — | No DNR-listed access site. Township, county and road-end launches are not in this source, so this is not evidence that access is poor — the component is excluded and the remaining weights are renormalized. |
| Road isolation | Good | 9.4 of 18 | some nearby classified roads · 12 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 1,420 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 1% 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 — 62% forest and 12% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →
Fish you might catch
from angler catches & active stocking4 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colours, not photographs (provenance).
Lake Trout
Splake
Smallmouth Bass
Brook TroutHistorically stocked, no recent evidence: Rainbow Trout (last planted 2015), Lake Whitefish (last planted 1997), Brown Trout (last planted 1989), Rainbow Smelt (last planted 1987) — not shown above.
Fishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 4 species found here — 4 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 · 2002–2024Master Angler catches recorded on this lake — too few to show a pattern, so they are listed individually.
DNR stocking
state stocking record · 1979–2025Fish the Michigan DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.
Complete stocking history5 older species
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 distanceGolden Lake — common questions
How deep is Golden Lake?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Golden Lake is 100 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 Golden Lake?
Golden Lake covers about 292 acres in Iron County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Golden Lake?
The estimated mean depth of Golden Lake is 30.5 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
What fish are in Golden Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include brook trout, lake trout, smallmouth bass, splake. The page shows the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Golden Lake?
Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 1 public access site on Golden Lake, including Golden Lake.
