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Little Pine Island Lake

Kent County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey
63ft Max
depth
114 acres 10 contours
Paddling Index56MixedMedium confidencesheltered geometry · wooded shoreline
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Depth scale

The lake

Survey readout

Little Pine Island Lake is mapped to a depth of 63 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 114 acres in Kent County, Michigan.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.

Deepest sounding
63 ft
Mean depth
19 ft · estimated
Surface area
114 acres
Estimated volume
2,153 acre-ft · 702M gal
Shoreline
1.98 mi · lobed
Aquatic vegetation
14% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access
No public DNR launch identified
Additional depth details10 contours
Contour depths
0–63 ft
Recorded point soundings
63 ft, 55 ft, 45 ft

30.4% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 44.5% is deeper than 20 ft; the survey shows 3 distinct basins. Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.

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Chart data

Provenance

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
43.09240, -85.65582
MI DNR lake ID
L18739
Vertical exaggeration
1.54×
Basemap
USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size
2.3 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21
56 / 100MixedData confidence: Medium

Little Pine Island Lake has a mostly natural, lightly developed setting, generally sheltered geometry, substantial nearby higher-volume roads. No special watercraft restriction is identified in the current source.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

ComponentRatingPoints of weightMeasurement
Natural settingVery Good22.0 of 3572% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (44% forest, 27% wetland; 24% developed)
Geometric wind exposureVery Good22.1 of 29mean fetch 734 m · 2% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · generally short fetch
Watercraft controlsNone identified8.8 of 18No special watercraft restriction identified in the current DNR source. Motors permitted, subject to general law.
Public accessNot listedNo 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 isolationModest3.2 of 18substantial nearby higher-volume roads · 36 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 11,179 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 14% 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 — 44% forest and 27% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
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.

Non-native species records

1 record

Other invertebrates

  • Freshwater Jellyfish
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
Brenner's Service & Sport Shop≈2.9 mi4765 W River Dr, Comstock Park · Google · Apple
Outdoorsmen Pro Shop Sparta≈5.7 mi169 N State St, Sparta · Google · Apple
Outdoorsmen Pro Shop≈14.7 mi678 Baldwinn, Jenison · 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

Little Pine Island Lake — common questions

How deep is Little Pine Island Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Little Pine Island Lake is 63 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 Little Pine Island Lake?

Little Pine Island Lake covers about 114 acres in Kent County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Little Pine Island Lake?

The estimated mean depth of Little Pine Island Lake is 19 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

Is there public access to Little Pine Island Lake?

No public launch for Little Pine Island 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.