Halfmoon Lake
depth
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Depth scale
Survey readout
Halfmoon Lake is mapped to a depth of 87 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 227 acres in Washtenaw County, Michigan.
Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.
- Deepest sounding
- 87 ft
- Mean depth
- 28 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 227 acres
- Estimated volume
- 6,343 acre-ft · 2,067M gal
- Shoreline
- 4.62 mi · irregular
- Aquatic vegetation
- 2% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- Boat Launch · Rec Passport
- Borders
- Pinckney Recreation Area · Michigan DNR · 89% of shoreline
Additional depth details11 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–87 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 87 ft, 82 ft, 40 ft
Other waters with a public launch on this map: Hi-land Lake. Their launches are not marked on the model — only Halfmoon Lake’s own are.
34.3% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 57.1% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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
- 42.41928, -84.01290
- MI DNR lake ID
- L15551
- Vertical exaggeration
- 1.4×
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.5 MB
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-23Halfmoon Lake has a partly natural setting, generally sheltered geometry, 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 | Good | 17.0 of 30 | 62% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (22% forest, 39% wetland; 20% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Very Good | 15.0 of 25 | mean fetch 1,051 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 | 1 site with DNR boating-facility records · 1 ramp lane · 25 trailer spaces |
| Road isolation | Mixed | 5.8 of 15 | nearby higher-volume roads · 16 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 3,235 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
- Moderate — 22% forest and 39% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →
Fish you might catch
from angler catches, DNR surveys & active stocking17 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colors, not photographs (provenance).
About these fish → the Fish of Michigan guide
Historically stocked, no recent evidence: Walleye (last planted 1986) — not shown above.
Fishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 17 species found here — 16 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 2026-09-15. Regulations can change — Michigan DNR rules are the controlling source; verify current regulations before fishing. Official regulations
Notable catches
Master Angler program · 1999–2025Trophy-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 species8 species
Biggest on record
Bait: artificial lure (3) · minnow (2)
Method: spincasting (8) · still fishing (4) · bowfishing (1) · trolling (1)
Fishery
Gamefish Bowfin 2 · Northern Pike 1
Panfish Bluegill 384 · Pumpkinseed 53 · Black Crappie 39
All survey species11 species
Gamefish
Panfish
Forage & nongame
DNR stocking
state stocking record · 1986–1997Fish the Michigan DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.
No stockings recorded since 1997 — shown as history.
Non-native species records
1 recordMussels & snails
How to identify invasive species in Michigan lakes →
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 distanceHalfmoon Lake — common questions
How deep is Halfmoon Lake?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Halfmoon Lake is 87 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 Halfmoon Lake?
Halfmoon Lake covers about 227 acres in Washtenaw County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Halfmoon Lake?
The estimated mean depth of Halfmoon Lake is 28 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
What fish are in Halfmoon Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, northern pike, smallmouth bass, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin. The page lists all 17 species and the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Halfmoon Lake?
Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 1 public access site on Halfmoon Lake, including Half-moon Lake.
