Gull Lake
depth
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Depth scale
Survey readout
Gull Lake is mapped to a depth of 110 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 2,046 acres in Kalamazoo County, Michigan.
Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.
- Deepest mapped contour
- 110 ft
- Mean depth
- 40 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 2,046 acres
- Estimated volume
- 81,859 acre-ft · 26,674M gal
- Shoreline
- 12.43 mi · irregular
- Aquatic vegetation
- 6% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- Boat Launch
Additional depth details12 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–110 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 110 ft, 70 ft, 50 ft
Other waters with a public launch on this map: Sherman Lake. Their launches are not marked on the model — only Gull Lake’s own are.
21.1% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 67.4% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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
- 42.40000, -85.41178
- MI DNR lake ID
- L16773
- Vertical exaggeration
- 3.18× below the waterline; land at true scale
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.3 MB
Watercraft rules
county-enforced local controls · MI DNROfficial rule details1 rule
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21Gull Lake has a substantially developed setting, long open-water fetch, substantial nearby higher-volume roads. Watercraft controls: Speed limit.
Why this score?5 components
Included in the index
| Component | Rating | Points of weight | Measurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural setting | Modest | 4.4 of 30 | 36% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (23% forest, 6% wetland; 44% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Modest | 2.4 of 25 | mean fetch 3,566 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · long open-water fetch |
| Watercraft controls | Speed limit | 9.0 of 15 | Speed limit |
| Public access | Good | 12.8 of 15 | 1 site with DNR boating-facility records · 4 ramp lanes · 70 trailer spaces |
| Road isolation | Modest | 0.8 of 15 | substantial nearby higher-volume roads · 115 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 10,447 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 6% 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
- Limited — 23% forest and 6% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →
Fish you might catch
from angler catches, DNR surveys & active stocking16 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
Bowfin
Lake Trout
Walleye
Brown Trout
Rainbow Troutstocked
Largemouth Bass
Smallmouth Bass
Bullhead
Crappie
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Rock Bass
Hybrid Sunfish
PumpkinseedFishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 16 species found here — 15 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
“protected slot limit on Northern Pike from 24 – 34 inches.” — 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 · 1994–2025Trophy-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.
Catch details by species15 species
Biggest on record
Bait: artificial lure (49) · live bait (27) · minnow (27)
Method: spincasting (80) · still fishing (73) · trolling (21) · ice fishing (14)
DNR stocking
state stocking record · 1986–2019Fish the Michigan DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.
Non-native species records
6 recordsMussels & snails
- Zebra Mussel
Plants & algae
- Starry Stonewort
Other invertebrates
- Freshwater Jellyfish
Fish
- Brown Trout
- Chinook Salmon
- Common Carp
What does non-native mean?
USGS records identify non-native species that have been documented for this lake or its shoreline. Non-native does not necessarily mean invasive, and historical records do not confirm current presence.
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 distanceGull Lake — common questions
How deep is Gull Lake?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Gull Lake is 110 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 Gull Lake?
Gull Lake covers about 2,046 acres in Kalamazoo County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Gull Lake?
The estimated mean depth of Gull Lake is 40 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
What fish are in Gull Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include brown trout, lake trout, largemouth bass, northern pike, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass. The page lists all 16 species and the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Gull Lake?
Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 1 public access site on Gull Lake, including Prairieville Township Park.
