Gorman Lake
depth
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Depth scale
Survey readout
Gorman Lake is mapped to a depth of 31 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 45 acres in Washtenaw County, Michigan.
Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.
- Deepest sounding
- 31 ft
- Mean depth
- 5.9 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 45 acres
- Estimated volume
- 266 acre-ft · 87M gal
- Shoreline
- 1.31 mi · lobed
- Aquatic vegetation
- 31% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Trophic state
- Mesotrophic · satellite estimate · details
- Public access
- No DNR launch listed · check with Pinckney Recreation Area
- In
- Pinckney Recreation Area · Michigan DNR
Additional depth details7 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–31 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 31 ft
86.8% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 2.9% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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. Color shows surveyed depth; dark lines are the survey's own isobaths.
- Coordinates
- 42.36204, -84.04504
- MI DNR lake ID
- L17088
- Vertical exaggeration
- 2.63× below the waterline; land at true scale
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.1 MB
Lake productivity & trophic state
Satellite estimateSatellite-estimated classification: Mesotrophic. Moderate nutrient levels and biological productivity. Based on satellite estimates of summer chlorophyll-a (LAGOS-US LANDSAT, 2020). No lake-specific measurement is available in this dataset.
Trophic state describes how biologically productive a lake is, based on indicators such as nutrients, algae and water clarity. It is not a swimming-safety or overall water-quality rating.
What do the categories mean?
- Oligotrophic≤ 2 µg/L · lower nutrient and algae levels, often clearer water and lower biological productivity.
- Mesotrophic · this lake2–7 µg/L · moderate nutrient levels and biological productivity.
- Eutrophic7–30 µg/L · higher nutrient levels and biological productivity, often with more algae or aquatic plant growth.
- Hypereutrophic> 30 µg/L · very high nutrient levels and biological productivity, with a greater potential for heavy algae growth and low water clarity.
Bands are summer (June–August) mean chlorophyll-a, the green pigment in algae, at the EPA 2012 National Lakes Assessment thresholds. Trophic condition can change over time and by measurement method. Source: Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership Conservation Planner; satellite chlorophyll-a estimates from LAGOS-US LANDSAT.
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-23Gorman Lake has a heavily wooded and largely undeveloped setting, well sheltered geometry, limited 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 | Excellent | 35.3 of 35 | 100% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (60% forest, 40% wetland; 0% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Excellent | 28.3 of 29 | mean fetch 497 m · 53% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · short fetch in most directions |
| 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 | Very Good | 14.1 of 18 | limited nearby major-road exposure · 7 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 4,927 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 31% 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 40% 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 colors, not photographs (provenance).
BluegillstockedAbout these fish → the Fish of Michigan guide
Fishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 2 species found here — 2 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 2026-09-15. Regulations can change — Michigan DNR rules are the controlling source; verify current regulations before fishing. Official regulations
Notable catches
Master Angler program · 1998One Master Angler catch is on record for this lake: 22.6″ largemouth bass in 1998.
DNR stocking
state stocking record · 2009–2009Fish the Michigan DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.
No stockings recorded since 2009 — 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.
At the lake
community-mapped amenities · straight-line distanceBait & tackle nearby
licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distanceGorman Lake — common questions
How deep is Gorman Lake?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Gorman Lake is 31 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 Gorman Lake?
Gorman Lake covers about 45 acres in Washtenaw County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Gorman Lake?
The estimated mean depth of Gorman Lake is 5.9 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
What fish are in Gorman Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, bluegill. The page shows the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Gorman Lake?
No public launch for Gorman Lake appears in the Michigan DNR access data, but Gorman Lake lies inside Pinckney Recreation Area (Michigan DNR), which runs its own facilities and is not covered by that data. Check with the park for launch details.
