Gourdneck Lake
depth
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Depth scale
Survey readout
Gourdneck Lake is mapped to a depth of 50 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 218 acres in Kalamazoo County, Michigan.
Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey (depths read from the survey's isobath field; this lake's summary-depth column is blank in the source).
- Deepest sounding
- 50 ft
- Mean depth
- 21.8 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 218 acres
- Estimated volume
- 4,765 acre-ft · 1,553M gal
- Shoreline
- 3.46 mi · irregular
- Aquatic vegetation
- 3% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- Boat Launch
Additional depth details7 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–50 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 50 ft, 31 ft
Other waters with a public launch on this map: Hogsett Lake. Their launches are not marked on the model — only Gourdneck Lake’s own are.
29% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 60.8% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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
- 42.15742, -85.57878
- MI DNR lake ID
- L24292
- Vertical exaggeration
- 1.98×
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.2 MB
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21Gourdneck Lake has a substantially developed setting, generally sheltered geometry, substantial nearby higher-volume 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 | Modest | 6.2 of 30 | 42% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (7% forest, 35% wetland; 48% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Very Good | 13.8 of 25 | mean fetch 1,181 m · 0% 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 · 13 trailer spaces |
| Road isolation | Modest | 0.9 of 15 | substantial nearby higher-volume roads · 77 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 16,145 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 3% 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 — 7% forest and 35% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →
Fish you might catch
from angler catches & DNR surveys21 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colours, not photographs (provenance).
Longnose Gar
Northern Pike
Spotted Gar
Bowfin
Brown Bullhead
Black CrappieCrappie
Yellow Bullhead
Lake Chubsucker
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Rock Bass
Warmouth
Pumpkinseed
Golden Shiner
Brook Silverside
Logperch
Minnow
Spottail Shiner
Blacknose Shiner
Sand ShinerFishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 21 species found here — 20 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.
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 · 1995–2025Trophy-size fish anglers caught here and registered with the DNR — what people have actually caught, distinct from what a survey netted or the state stocked below.
Biggest on record
Bait: minnow (2) · artificial lure (1) · live bait (1) · leaf worm (1)
Method: still fishing (3) · spincasting (2)
Fishery
Gamefish Northern Pike 24 · Bowfin 20
Panfish Bluegill 421 · Rock Bass 193 · Yellow Perch 73
All survey species20 species
Gamefish
Panfish
Bullhead & catfish
Forage & nongame
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 distanceGourdneck Lake — common questions
How deep is Gourdneck Lake?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Gourdneck Lake is 50 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 Gourdneck Lake?
Gourdneck Lake covers about 218 acres in Kalamazoo County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Gourdneck Lake?
The estimated mean depth of Gourdneck Lake is 21.8 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
What fish are in Gourdneck Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include northern pike, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin, brown bullhead, crappie. The page lists all 21 species and the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Gourdneck Lake?
No public launch for Gourdneck 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.
