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Loon Lake

Iosco County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey
128ft Max
depth
407 acres 23 contours Public access
Paddling Index52Modest
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Depth scale

The lake

Survey readout

Loon Lake is mapped to a depth of 128 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 407 acres in Iosco 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 sounding
128 ft
Mean depth
34.5 ft · estimated
Surface area
407 acres
Estimated volume
14,036 acre-ft · 4,574M gal
Shoreline
4.23 mi · lobed
Aquatic vegetation
1% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access
Boat Launch
Additional depth details23 contours
Contour depths
0–128 ft
Recorded point soundings
128 ft, 107 ft, 102 ft, 95 ft, 80 ft, 76 ft

Other waters with a public launch on this map: Long Lake. Their launches are not marked on the model — only Loon Lake’s own are.

27.5% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 60.9% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.

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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.

⚠ 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
44.41011, -83.82106
MI DNR lake ID
L12948
Vertical exaggeration
1.4×
Basemap
USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size
2.6 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21
52 / 100ModestData confidence: High

Loon Lake has a partly natural 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

ComponentRatingPoints of weightMeasurement
Natural settingGood13.4 of 3055% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (32% forest, 19% wetland; 30% developed)
Geometric wind exposureGood11.2 of 25mean fetch 1,520 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · moderate open-water fetch
Watercraft controlsNone identified7.5 of 15No special watercraft restriction identified in the current DNR source. Motors permitted, subject to general law.
Public accessGood12.8 of 151 site with DNR boating-facility records · 2 ramp lanes · 38 trailer spaces
Road isolationGood7.5 of 15some nearby classified roads · 31 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 2,839 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
Moderate — 32% forest and 19% 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 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, DNR surveys & active stocking

14 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colours, not photographs (provenance).

Northern Pike
Walleye
Largemouth Bass
White Sucker
Smallmouth Bass
Brown Bullhead
Crappie
Yellow Bullhead
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Rock Bass
Hybrid Sunfish
Pumpkinseed
Green Sunfish

Historically stocked, no recent evidence: Rainbow Trout (last planted 1981) — not shown above.

Fishing 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.

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).
Brown BullheadOpen 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.
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).
Brown BullheadOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no possession limit (2026 DNR digest · all other species)
CrappieOpen 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).
Green SunfishOpen 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).
Hybrid SunfishOpen 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).
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).
Northern PikeOpen to harvestMinimum size: 24" · Daily limit: 2 (FO-215 · statewide inland)
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).
WalleyeOpen to harvestMinimum size: 15" · Daily limit: 5 (FO-215 · statewide inland)
White SuckerOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no possession limit (2026 DNR digest · all other species)
Yellow BullheadOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no possession limit (2026 DNR digest · all other species)
Yellow PerchOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland)

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, Michigan DNR fishery surveys and Michigan DNR stockings within the last 10 years. 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.

26Catches recorded
9Species
Smallmouth Bass9 recorded · to 23.5″
Rock Bass6 recorded · to 12.2″
Bluegill3 recorded · to 11.8″
Crappie2 recorded · to 15.5″
Catch details by species9 species
Smallmouth Bass9 recorded · to 23.5″ · latest 2022
Rock Bass6 recorded · to 12.2″ · latest 2024
Bluegill3 recorded · to 11.8″ · latest 2022
Crappie2 recorded · to 15.5″ · latest 2012
Largemouth Bass2 recorded · to 23.4″ · latest 1998
Hybrid Sunfish1 recorded · to 10.5″ · latest 2022
Northern Pike1 recorded · to 38″ · latest 2023
Pumpkinseed1 recorded · to 9.2″ · latest 2025
Yellow Perch1 recorded · to 14″ · latest 2015

Biggest on record

Northern Pike38″ · 2023 · still fishing · live bait
Smallmouth Bass23.5″ · 2012 · spincasting
Largemouth Bass23.4″ · 1996 · spincasting · mr. twister
Smallmouth Bass22.5″ · 2019 · spincasting
Smallmouth Bass22″ · 2022 · still fishing · live bait

Bait: live bait (4) · artificial lure (3) · crawler (2)
Method: spincasting (14) · still fishing (7) · ice fishing (2)

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.

Fishery

DNR SFR 2012-127
2,203Fish sampled
12Species

Gamefish Largemouth Bass 75 · Northern Pike 26 · Walleye 23

Panfish Bluegill 739 · Rock Bass 615 · Pumpkinseed 429

All survey species12 species

Gamefish

Largemouth Bass75 caught · to 19″
Northern Pike26 caught · to 26″
Walleye23 caught · to 25″

Panfish

Bluegill739 caught · to 8″
Rock Bass615 caught · to 11″
Pumpkinseed429 caught · to 9″
Yellow Perch146 caught · to 12″
Green Sunfish24 caught · to 7″

Bullhead & catfish

Brown Bullhead38 caught · to 13″
Yellow Bullhead35 caught · to 13″

Forage & nongame

Hybrid Sunfish49 caught · to 7″
White Sucker4 caught · to 19″
Stocking: Records indicate that walleye and perch were stocked from 1937 to 1942.
Length is the largest fish netted in the survey, not an angler record. Source: Michigan DNR Status of the Fishery Resource report (counts summed across survey years).

DNR stocking

state stocking record · 1980–2026

Fish the Michigan DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.

Walleye450,484 stocked · 1991–2026 · 18 plantings
Rainbow trout6,000 stocked · 1980–1981 · 2 plantings

Non-native species records

1 record

Plants & algae

  • Purple Loosestrife
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
🏖 Beach / swim area≈0.3 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
J & M County Fair Store≈2.3 mi415 W Main, Hale · Google · Apple
Londo Lakes Store≈4.4 mi · (989) 600-52168585 Lavere Rd, Hale · Google · Apple
Gordon's Bait≈8 mi6075 N M-65, Glenni · 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

Loon Lake — common questions

How deep is Loon Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Loon Lake is 128 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 Loon Lake?

Loon Lake covers about 407 acres in Iosco County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Loon Lake?

The estimated mean depth of Loon Lake is 34.5 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

What fish are in Loon Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, northern pike, smallmouth bass, walleye, bluegill, brown bullhead. The page lists all 14 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Loon Lake?

No public launch for Loon 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.