Lake Leelanau
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Depth scale
Survey readout
Lake Leelanau is mapped to a depth of 62 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 5,829 acres in Leelanau County, Michigan.
Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.
- Deepest sounding
- 62 ft
- Mean depth
- 22.5 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 5,829 acres
- Estimated volume
- 131,147 acre-ft · 42,734M gal
- Shoreline
- 26.34 mi · irregular
- Aquatic vegetation
- 9% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- Boat Launch
Additional depth details6 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–62 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 62 ft, 62 ft, 16 ft
Other waters with a public launch on this map: Lake Michigan, Leland River. Their launches are not marked on the model — only Lake Leelanau’s own are.
29.2% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 53.6% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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. Colour shows surveyed depth; dark lines are the survey's own isobaths.
- Coordinates
- 44.89565, -85.71842
- MI DNR lake ID
- L39328
- Vertical exaggeration
- 12.0× below the waterline; land at true scale
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.5 MB
Watercraft rules
county-enforced local controls · MI DNROfficial rule details1 rule
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21Lake Leelanau has a mixed natural and developed setting, long open-water fetch, substantial nearby higher-volume roads. Watercraft controls: Slow-no-wake zones.
Why this score?5 components
Included in the index
| Component | Rating | Points of weight | Measurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural setting | Mixed | 10.7 of 30 | 45% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (7% forest, 33% wetland; 23% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Modest | 1.2 of 25 | mean fetch 4,808 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · long open-water fetch |
| Watercraft controls | Slow-no-wake zones | 10.2 of 15 | Slow — no wake — designated zones only |
| Public access | Good | 12.8 of 15 | 3 sites with DNR boating-facility records · 5 ramp lanes · 52 trailer spaces |
| Road isolation | Modest | 2.0 of 15 | substantial nearby higher-volume roads · 101 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 4,039 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 9% 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 — 7% forest and 33% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →
Fish you might catch
from angler catches14 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
Bowfin
Lake Trout
Walleye
Rainbow Trout
Lake Whitefish
Largemouth Bass
White Sucker
Smallmouth Bass
Cisco
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Rock BassFishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 14 species found here — 14 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 species14 species
Biggest on record
Bait: crawler (29) · artificial lure (27) · live bait (18)
Method: spincasting (50) · drift fishing (31) · still fishing (28) · trolling (27)
Non-native species records
6 recordsMussels & snails
- Zebra Mussel
Plants & algae
- Eurasian Watermilfoil
- Narrow-leaved Cattail
- Purple Loosestrife
- Reed Canarygrass
Other invertebrates
- Rusty Crayfish
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 distanceLake Leelanau — common questions
How deep is Lake Leelanau?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Lake Leelanau is 62 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 Lake Leelanau?
Lake Leelanau covers about 5,829 acres in Leelanau County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Lake Leelanau?
The estimated mean depth of Lake Leelanau is 22.5 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
What fish are in Lake Leelanau?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include lake trout, lake whitefish, largemouth bass, northern pike, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass. The page lists all 14 species and the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Lake Leelanau?
Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 4 public access sites on Lake Leelanau, including Lake Leelanau East.
