Higgins Lake
depth
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Depth scale
Survey readout
Higgins Lake is mapped to a depth of 130 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 10,212 acres in Roscommon 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
- 130 ft
- Mean depth
- 51.7 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 10,212 acres
- Estimated volume
- 527,272 acre-ft · 171,812M gal
- Shoreline
- 20.73 mi · lobed
- Aquatic vegetation
- 1% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- Boat Launch · Rec Passport
Additional depth details13 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–130 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 130 ft
Other waters with a public launch on this map: Marl Lake, Houghton Lake. Their launches are not marked on the model — only Higgins Lake’s own are.
24.9% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 68.9% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.
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
- 44.47299, -84.72541
- MI DNR lake ID
- L7611
- Vertical exaggeration
- 6.0× below the waterline; land at true scale
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.4 MB
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21Higgins Lake has a substantially developed setting, long open-water fetch, substantial 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 | 3.2 of 30 | 32% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (24% forest, 6% wetland; 48% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Modest | 1.2 of 25 | mean fetch 5,656 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · long open-water 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 | 4 sites with DNR boating-facility records · 18 ramp lanes · 404 trailer spaces |
| Road isolation | Modest | 0.8 of 15 | substantial nearby higher-volume roads · 459 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 14,702 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 1% 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 — 24% 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 stocking19 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
Common Carp
Bowfin
Lake Trout
Brown Trout
Longnose Sucker
Rainbow Troutstocked
Splake
Lake Whitefish
Largemouth Bass
White Sucker
Smallmouth Bass
Cisco
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Rock Bass
Pumpkinseed
Rainbow SmeltHistorically stocked, no recent evidence: Atlantic Salmon (last planted 1982) — not shown above.
Fishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 19 species found here — 19 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.
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 species18 species
Biggest on record
Bait: artificial lure (62) · minnow (55) · live bait (54)
Method: still fishing (105) · ice fishing (104) · spincasting (101) · trolling (78)
Fishery
DNR SFR 2021-320Gamefish Lake Trout 75 · Northern Pike 28 · Smallmouth Bass 12 · Brown Trout 10
Panfish Rock Bass 112 · Yellow Perch 6 · Bluegill 1
All survey species14 species
Gamefish
Panfish
Forage & nongame
DNR stocking
state stocking record · 1979–2026Fish the Michigan DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.
Non-native species records
8 recordsMussels & snails
- Banded Mysterysnail
- Chinese Mysterysnail
- Freshwater Golden Clam
- Zebra Mussel
Plants & algae
- Eurasian Watermilfoil
- Starry Stonewort
Fish
- Atlantic SalmonMichigan DNR stocking records also document Atlantic Salmon stocking in this lake.
- Emerald Shiner
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 distanceHiggins Lake — common questions
How deep is Higgins Lake?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Higgins Lake is 130 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 Higgins Lake?
Higgins Lake covers about 10,212 acres in Roscommon County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Higgins Lake?
The estimated mean depth of Higgins Lake is 51.7 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
What fish are in Higgins Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include brown trout, lake trout, lake whitefish, largemouth bass, northern pike, rainbow trout. The page lists all 19 species and the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Higgins Lake?
Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 3 public access sites on Higgins Lake, including South Higgins Lake State Park.
