Helen Lake

Gogebic County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey

47ft Max
depth

68 acres 11 contours

Paddling Index80Very GoodMedium confidencesheltered geometry · away from major roads · wooded shoreline

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Depth scale

051215203247

The lake

Survey readout

Helen Lake is mapped to a depth of 47 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 68 acres in Gogebic County, Michigan.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.

Deepest sounding: 47 ft
Mean depth: 12.5 ft · estimated
Surface area: 68 acres
Estimated volume: 849 acre-ft · 277M gal
Shoreline: 2.56 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 5% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: No public DNR launch identified

Additional depth details11 contours

Contour depths: 0–47 ft
Recorded point soundings: 47 ft, 47 ft, 32 ft, 18 ft, 14 ft, 12 ft

48.5% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 22.2% is deeper than 20 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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

Gogebic County, Michigan · 15 nearest of 135 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: 46.24453, -89.34084
MI DNR lake ID: L46359
Vertical exaggeration: 2.08×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.5 MB

Paddling

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

80 / 100Very GoodData confidence: Medium

Helen Lake has a mostly natural, lightly developed setting, well sheltered geometry, limited nearby major-road exposure. 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	Very Good	28.0 of 35	82% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (72% forest, 8% wetland; 12% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Excellent	29.4 of 29	mean fetch 433 m · 65% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · short fetch in most directions
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	Very Good	13.5 of 18	limited nearby major-road exposure · 11 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 156 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 5% 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: High — 72% forest and 8% 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.

Fishing rules

No recent catch, survey, or stocking data for this lake — but a fisheries order still governs it.

Fishing rules for this lake Beta

Rules that apply to this water, whatever you are fishing for.

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.

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.

Sylvania Wilderness Area — Statewide seasons apply, except that no fishing is allowed before the last Saturday in April or after October 31. Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass must be returned immediately to the water without injury. Possession of any bass is prohibited on these waters, regardless of where it was caught. Hook-and-line fishing only. Only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used. (FO-212.19, effective 2018-09-13)

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

Non-native species records

1 record

Plants & algae

Reed Canarygrass

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 distance

⛻ Campground≈0.8 mi

🚿 Restrooms / vault toilet≈0.4 mi · 2 mapped

🥪 Picnic areaon 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

Wilderness Bay Lodge & Resort≈2 mi · (800) 445-5370E20060 Thousand Island Lake Rd, Watersmeet · 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

Helen Lake — common questions

How deep is Helen Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Helen Lake is 47 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 Helen Lake?

Helen Lake covers about 68 acres in Gogebic County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Helen Lake?

The estimated mean depth of Helen Lake is 12.5 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

Is there public access to Helen Lake?

No public launch for Helen 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.

More lakes in Gogebic County