Gulliver Lake

Schoolcraft County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey

25ft Max
depth

830 acres 5 contours Public access

Paddling Index28ModestMedium confidence

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Depth scale

0510152025

The lake

Survey readout

Gulliver Lake is mapped to a depth of 25 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 830 acres in Schoolcraft 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 mapped contour: 25 ft
Mean depth: 12 ft · estimated
Surface area: 830 acres
Estimated volume: 9,983 acre-ft · 3,253M gal
Shoreline: 5.05 mi · lobed
Aquatic vegetation: 0% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Boat Launch

Additional depth details5 contours

Contour depths: 0–25 ft
Recorded point soundings: 25 ft

45% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 19.9% is deeper than 20 ft. Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.

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Location

Schoolcraft County, Michigan · 15 nearest of 95 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.

⚠ Not for navigation

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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: 45.98247, -86.02863
MI DNR lake ID: L37803
Vertical exaggeration: 2.83×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.6 MB

Paddling

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

28 / 100ModestData confidence: Medium

Gulliver Lake has a substantially developed setting, moderate open-water exposure, 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	4.8 of 35	34% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (4% forest, 30% wetland; 40% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Good	9.9 of 29	mean fetch 1,998 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	Mixed	4.8 of 18	nearby higher-volume roads · 21 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 6,386 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 0% 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 — 4% forest and 30% 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 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.

Fish you might catch

from angler catches, DNR surveys & active stocking

3 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colours, not photographs (provenance).

Crappie

Bluegill

Rock Bass

Historically stocked, no recent evidence: Walleye (last planted 1998) — not shown above.

Fishing rules for this lake Beta

Size and daily limits for the 3 species found here — 3 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.

BluegillOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).

CrappieOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).

Beta. This panel is newly published. Every value is parsed from the Michigan DNR fisheries orders and hand-checked against the printed digest, but the coverage and wording are still under review. If anything here disagrees with the Michigan DNR's Fisheries Orders or its printed digest, the DNR is right — the signed Fisheries Order is the legal text; the digest summarises it.

Rock BassOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).

Official rule text for this lake

“no size limit on Northern Pike and up to five (5) Northern Pike may be retained in the daily possession limit with only one (1) 24- inches or greater.” — 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

Compiled from registered Master Angler catches, Michigan DNR fishery surveys and Michigan DNR stockings within the last 10 years. Silhouettes are stylized and scaled to typical adult sizes relative to one another. Presence is not a promise — fishing isn’t a sure thing.

Notable catches

Master Angler program · 2001–2024

Trophy-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.

6Catches recorded

3Species

Rock Bass4 recorded · to 12.2″ · latest 2024

Bluegill1 recorded · to 10″ · latest 2019

Crappie1 recorded · to 14″ · latest 2024

Biggest on record

Crappie14″ · 2024 · spincasting · artificial lure

Rock Bass12.2″ · 2024 · spincasting · artificial lure

Rock Bass12″ · 2020

Rock Bass12″ · 2001 · trolling

Rock Bass11.7″ · 2022 · spincasting · artificial lure

Bait: artificial lure (3)
Method: spincasting (3) · trolling (2)

Master Angler entries are fish that met the program’s minimum size and were registered by the angler — they show what this lake has produced, not what a day here will produce. A catch on record is history, not a species listing: “Fish you might catch” lists only species with current evidence. Source: Michigan DNR Master Angler data.

DNR stocking

state stocking record · 1984–1998

Fish the Michigan DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.

Walleye4,057,658 stocked · 1984–1998 · 15 plantings

No stockings recorded since 1998 — shown as history.

Source: Michigan DNR Fish Stocking Database.

Non-native species records

1 record

Mussels & snails

Zebra Mussel

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.

Public fishing access

MI DNR family-friendly fishing

ShoreBoat

Private-managed · Free · Rustic restrooms · Dirt parking

Amenities: Boat launch, grills, picnic tables, playground

“A large area of Gulliver Lake consists of shallow, sandy shoal areas. Cover along the shoreline is generally sparse with scattered weed beds; downed trees and other woody debris are also sparse. The bottom substrate consists of mainly sand in the shallow areas along the shoreline. Gravel, cobble and rock are dispersed along the northern shoreline.”

Source: Michigan DNR Family Friendly Fishing.

At the lake

community-mapped amenities · straight-line distance

🚿 Restrooms / vault toileton the lake

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

Gulliver EZ Mart≈1.1 mi · (906) 283-31142804 W US Hwy 2, Gulliver · Google · Apple

Gullivers Crossroads≈1.1 mi280w Hwy US 2, Gulliver · Google · Apple

Top O'Lake Sport Shop≈10.6 mi206 S Cedar St, Manistique · 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

Gulliver Lake — common questions

How deep is Gulliver Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Gulliver Lake is 25 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 Gulliver Lake?

Gulliver Lake covers about 830 acres in Schoolcraft County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Gulliver Lake?

The estimated mean depth of Gulliver Lake is 12 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

What fish are in Gulliver Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include bluegill, crappie, rock bass. The page shows the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Gulliver Lake?

Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 1 public access site on Gulliver Lake, including Doyle Township Park.