Little Platte Lake

Benzie County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey

8ft Max
depth

875 acres 7 contours Public access

Paddling Index60Mixedwooded shoreline

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Depth scale

02345678

The lake

Survey readout

Little Platte Lake is mapped to a depth of 8 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 875 acres in Benzie County, Michigan. Coverage is sparse: about 53% of this lake lies well away from any surveyed contour, so most of the shape shown there is interpolated between distant measurements rather than mapped.

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 sounding: 8 ft
Mean depth: 3 ft · estimated
Surface area: 875 acres
Estimated volume: 2,586 acre-ft · 843M gal
Shoreline: 6.2 mi · lobed
Aquatic vegetation: 1% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Boat Launch

Additional depth details7 contours

Contour depths: 0–8 ft
Recorded point soundings: 8 ft, 7 ft, 7 ft, 6 ft, 6 ft, 5 ft

100% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft. Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.

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Location

Benzie County, Michigan · all 15 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: 44.70249, -86.06698
MI DNR lake ID: L39815
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.2 MB

Paddling

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

60 / 100MixedData confidence: High

Little Platte Lake has a mostly natural, lightly developed setting, moderate open-water exposure, some nearby classified 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	Very Good	23.3 of 30	76% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (20% forest, 55% wetland; 11% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Good	8.8 of 25	mean fetch 1,923 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · moderate 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	1 site with DNR boating-facility records · 1 ramp lane · 13 trailer spaces
Road isolation	Good	7.8 of 15	some nearby classified roads · 12 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 1,459 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: High — 20% forest and 55% 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 Boating Access Sites (2026-08), 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.

Fish you might catch

from angler catches

7 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

Bowfin

Largemouth Bass

Smallmouth Bass

Bluegill

Rock Bass

Pumpkinseed

Fishing rules for this lake Beta

Size and daily limits for the 7 species found here — 7 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.

BluegillOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).

BowfinOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no possession limit (2026 DNR digest · all other species)

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.

BowfinOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no possession limit (2026 DNR digest · all other species)

Largemouth BassOpen to harvestMinimum size: 14" · Daily limit: 5 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 5 is in any combination of Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, not 5 of each (FO-215.23A).

Longnose GarOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no possession limit (2026 DNR digest · all other species)

PumpkinseedOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).

Rock BassOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).

Smallmouth BassOpen to harvestMinimum size: 14" · Daily limit: 5 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 5 is in any combination of Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, not 5 of each (FO-215.23A).

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

Compiled from registered Master Angler catches. Silhouettes are stylized and scaled to typical adult sizes relative to one another. Presence is not a promise — fishing isn’t a sure thing.

Notable catches

Master Angler program · 1995–2025

Trophy-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.

16Catches recorded

7Species

Smallmouth Bass6 recorded · to 23″

Rock Bass4 recorded · to 12″

Pumpkinseed2 recorded · to 10.5″

Bluegill1 recorded · to 10″

Catch details by species7 species

Smallmouth Bass6 recorded · to 23″ · latest 2012

Rock Bass4 recorded · to 12″ · latest 2024

Pumpkinseed2 recorded · to 10.5″ · latest 2025

Bluegill1 recorded · to 10″ · latest 2022

Bowfin1 recorded · to 29″ · latest 1996

Largemouth Bass1 recorded · to 24″ · latest 2011

Longnose Gar1 recorded · to 36.5″ · latest 2005

Biggest on record

Longnose Gar36.5″ · 2005 · spincasting

Bowfin29″ · 1996 · still fishing · worm

Largemouth Bass24″ · 2011 · spincasting

Smallmouth Bass23″ · 2004 · drift fishing

Smallmouth Bass22.5″ · 2004 · still fishing · night crawler

Bait: live bait (2) · artificial lure (1)
Method: still fishing (8) · spincasting (5) · drift fishing (1)

Master Angler entries are fish that met the program’s minimum size and were registered by the angler — they show what this lake has produced, not what a day here will produce. A catch on record is history, not a species listing: “Fish you might catch” lists only species with current evidence. Source: Michigan DNR Master Angler data.

Non-native species records

5 records

Plants & algae

Eurasian Watermilfoil
Forget-me-not
Purple Loosestrife
Reed Canarygrass
Yellow Iris

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≈1.5 mi

🚿 Restrooms / vault toileton the lake

🥾 Hiking trailhead≈1.0 mi · 2 mapped

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

Stapleton's Corner Market≈5.9 mi790 Michigan Ave, Benzonia · Google · Apple

Backcast Fly Shop/Benzie Pets≈6.7 mi1675 Benzie Hwy, Benzonia · Google · Apple

Frankfort Tackle Box≈9.4 mi903 Main St, Frankfort · 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 Platte Lake — common questions

How deep is Little Platte Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Little Platte Lake is 8 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 Platte Lake?

Little Platte Lake covers about 875 acres in Benzie County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Little Platte Lake?

The estimated mean depth of Little Platte Lake is 3 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

What fish are in Little Platte Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, bowfin, longnose gar, pumpkinseed. The page lists all 7 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Little Platte Lake?

Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 2 public access sites on Little Platte Lake, including Little Platte Lake.