Little Tom Lake

Allegan County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey

10ft Max
depth

18 acres 2 contours Public access 55% weedy

Paddling Index92Excellentaway from major roads · sheltered geometry · wooded shoreline

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Depth scale

0510

The lake

Survey readout

Little Tom Lake is mapped to a depth of 10 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 18 acres in Allegan County, Michigan.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 10 ft
Mean depth: 5.5 ft · estimated
Surface area: 18 acres
Estimated volume: 98 acre-ft · 32M gal
Shoreline: 0.44 mi · round
Aquatic vegetation: 55% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Boat Launch

Additional depth details2 contours

Contour depths: 0–10 ft
Recorded point soundings: 10 ft

71.1% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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

Allegan County, Michigan · all 13 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: 42.52484, -86.03600
MI DNR lake ID: L27114
Vertical exaggeration: 3.0×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 0.8 MB

Paddling

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

92 / 100ExcellentData confidence: High

Little Tom Lake has a heavily wooded and largely undeveloped setting, well sheltered geometry, little 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	Excellent	30.0 of 30	100% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (18% forest, 81% wetland; 0% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Excellent	25.0 of 25	mean fetch 257 m · 100% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · short fetch in most directions
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	Excellent	15.0 of 15	1 site with DNR boating-facility records · carry-in launch
Road isolation	Excellent	15.0 of 15	relatively isolated from major roads · 2 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 440 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: Moderate — narrow in places — wakes would carry across parts of the lake
Aquatic vegetation: High — approximately 55% 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 — 18% forest and 81% 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.

Non-native species records

No non-native species recorded in the available dataset. This does not confirm that no non-native species are present.

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≈0.4 mi

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

Swan Lake Store LLC≈5.7 mi658 42nd St, Allegan · Google · Apple

ACI Ventures≈7.7 mi1875 M40, Allegan · Google · Apple

Dunes View Kwik Shop≈12.9 mi · (269) 857-10106397 blue Start Hwy, Saugatuck · 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 Tom Lake — common questions

How deep is Little Tom Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Little Tom Lake is 10 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 Tom Lake?

Little Tom Lake covers about 18 acres in Allegan County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Little Tom Lake?

The estimated mean depth of Little Tom Lake is 5.5 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

Is there public access to Little Tom Lake?

Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 1 public access site on Little Tom Lake, including Little Tom Lake.