Goose Lake

Missaukee County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey

14ft Max
depth

102 acres 6 contours Public access 53% weedy

Paddling Index79Goodaway from major roads · sheltered geometry · wooded shoreline

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Depth scale

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The lake

Survey readout

Goose Lake is mapped to a depth of 14 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 102 acres in Missaukee County, Michigan.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.

Deepest sounding: 14 ft
Mean depth: 4 ft · estimated
Surface area: 102 acres
Estimated volume: 410 acre-ft · 134M gal
Shoreline: 2.77 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 53% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Boat Launch

Additional depth details6 contours

Contour depths: 0–14 ft
Recorded point soundings: 14 ft, 9 ft

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

93.5% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; the survey shows 2 distinct basins. Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.

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Location

Missaukee County, Michigan · all 10 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: 44.35336, -85.24630
MI DNR lake ID: L7823
Vertical exaggeration: 3.0×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.4 MB

Paddling

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

79 / 100GoodData confidence: High

Goose Lake has a mostly natural, lightly developed setting, generally 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	Very Good	23.1 of 30	80% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (60% forest, 20% wetland; 16% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Very Good	20.8 of 25	mean fetch 629 m · 17% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · generally short 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	2 sites with DNR boating-facility records · 2 ramp lanes · 7 trailer spaces
Road isolation	Excellent	15.0 of 15	relatively isolated from major roads · 8 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: Low — wide enough that wakes disperse over most of the lake
Aquatic vegetation: High — approximately 53% 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 — 60% forest and 20% 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.

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

⛻ Campgroundon the lake · 3 mapped

🚿 Restrooms / vault toileton the lake · 3 mapped

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

Village Tackle LLC≈1.7 mi129 N Front St, Lake City · Google · Apple

Next Door Store 5059≈4.9 mi · (231) 839-415388 N Morey Rd, Lake City · Google · Apple

Pilgrim Village Fishing Shop≈13.1 mi · (231) 775-5412181 S Lake Mitchell Dr, Cadillac · 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

Goose Lake — common questions

How deep is Goose Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Goose Lake is 14 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 Goose Lake?

Goose Lake covers about 102 acres in Missaukee County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Goose Lake?

The estimated mean depth of Goose Lake is 4 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

Is there public access to Goose Lake?

Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 1 public access site on Goose Lake, including Goose Lake SFCG.