Hackert Lake

Mason County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey

16ft Max
depth

115 acres 4 contours Public access

Paddling Index59Mixedrestricted hours · sheltered geometry

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Depth scale

05101516

The lake

Survey readout

Hackert Lake is mapped to a depth of 16 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 115 acres in Mason County, Michigan.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.

Deepest sounding: 16 ft
Mean depth: 6.4 ft · estimated
Surface area: 115 acres
Estimated volume: 740 acre-ft · 241M gal
Shoreline: 2.3 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 2% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Boat Launch

Additional depth details4 contours

Contour depths: 0–16 ft
Recorded point soundings: 16 ft, 10 ft

75.6% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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

Mason County, Michigan · 15 nearest of 20 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: 43.98266, -86.32424
MI DNR lake ID: L16412
Vertical exaggeration: 3.0×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.4 MB

Watercraft rules

county-enforced local controls · MI DNR

Restricted hourswhole lake, as mapped

Official rule details1 rule

Restricted hours“Hours for high-speed boating”

Where the mapped control areas and the official regulation language differ, the language governs. Official county watercraft controls.

Paddling

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

59 / 100MixedData confidence: High

Hackert Lake has a mixed natural and developed setting, generally sheltered geometry, some nearby classified roads. Watercraft controls: Restricted hours.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

Component	Rating	Points of weight	Measurement
Natural setting	Mixed	10.2 of 30	48% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (39% forest, 7% wetland; 28% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Very Good	19.2 of 25	mean fetch 718 m · 10% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · generally short fetch
Watercraft controls	Restricted hours	9.3 of 15	Restricted hours
Public access	Good	12.8 of 15	1 site with DNR boating-facility records · 1 ramp lane · 12 trailer spaces
Road isolation	Good	7.5 of 15	some nearby classified roads · 19 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 4,184 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 2% 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 — 39% forest and 7% 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.

Fish you might catch

from angler catches, DNR surveys & active stocking

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

Northern Pike

Walleyestocked

White Sucker

Bullhead

Crappie

Bluegill

Rock Bass

Pumpkinseed

Historically stocked, no recent evidence: Fathead Minnow (last planted 2002), Tiger Muskellunge (last planted 1983) — not shown above.

Fishing rules for this lake Beta

Size and daily limits for the 8 species found here — 7 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.

Northern PikeSpecial rulesNamed in a fisheries order for this lake — see the rule text below

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).

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.

BullheadOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no possession limit (2026 DNR digest · all other species)

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).

Northern PikeSpecial rulesNamed in a fisheries order for this lake — see the rule text below

PumpkinseedOpen 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).

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).

WalleyeOpen to harvestMinimum size: 15" · Daily limit: 5 (FO-215 · statewide inland)

White SuckerOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no possession limit (2026 DNR digest · all other species)

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.

16Catches recorded

5Species

Rock Bass6 recorded · to 12.1″ · latest 2024

Bullhead5 recorded · to 16″ · latest 2023

Bluegill2 recorded · to 11″ · latest 2021

Crappie2 recorded · to 14″ · latest 2022

Pumpkinseed1 recorded · to 9.2″ · latest 2024

Biggest on record

Bullhead16″ · 2007 · drift fishing · worm

Bullhead15″ · 2023 · spincasting · live bait

Bullhead14.8″ · 2021 · spincasting · artificial lure

Crappie14″ · 2022 · spincasting · live bait

Crappie14″ · 2022 · ice fishing · live bait

Bait: live bait (5) · artificial lure (3) · worm (2)
Method: spincasting (8) · still fishing (3) · drift fishing (2) · ice fishing (1)

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.

Fishery

surveyed 2019 · DNR SFR 2020-280

28Fish sampled

2Species

Gamefish

Northern Pike26 caught · to 34″

Forage & nongame

White Sucker2 caught · to 21″

Stocking: In 2004 and 2005, weevils (insects that target Eurasian milfoil) were stocked into the lake with the goal of reducing the Eurasian milfoil population through biological control.

Length is the largest fish netted in the survey, not an angler record. Source: Michigan DNR Status of the Fishery Resource report (counts summed across survey years).

DNR stocking

state stocking record · 1979–2026

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

Walleye146,823 stocked · 1991–2026 · 17 plantings

Fathead minnow20,000 stocked · 2002

Tiger muskellunge2,390 stocked · 1979–1983 · 5 plantings

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.

Bait & tackle nearby

licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distance

Captain Chuck's II Inc≈5.1 mi · (231) 843-445875 N Jebavy Rd, Ludington · Google · Apple

Hamlin Grocery≈5.5 mi · (231) 425-44203611 N Jabavy Dr, Ludington · Google · Apple

Pere Marquette Expeditions LLC≈6 mi · (231) 845-72851649 S Pere Marquette Hwy, Ludington · 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

Hackert Lake — common questions

How deep is Hackert Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Hackert Lake is 16 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 Hackert Lake?

Hackert Lake covers about 115 acres in Mason County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Hackert Lake?

The estimated mean depth of Hackert Lake is 6.4 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

What fish are in Hackert Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include northern pike, walleye, bluegill, bullhead, crappie, pumpkinseed. The page lists all 8 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Hackert Lake?

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