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Loon Lake

Lake County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey
25ft Max
depth
102 acres 7 contours
Paddling Index59MixedMedium confidencerestricted hours in zones · sheltered geometry
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Depth scale

The lake

Survey readout

Loon Lake is mapped to a depth of 25 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 102 acres in Lake County, Michigan.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.

Deepest sounding
25 ft
Mean depth
12.2 ft · estimated
Surface area
102 acres
Estimated volume
1,237 acre-ft · 403M gal
Shoreline
2.26 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation
14% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access
No public DNR launch identified
Additional depth details7 contours
Contour depths
0–25 ft
Recorded point soundings
25 ft, 23 ft, 17 ft

41.3% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 21.2% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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
44.06627, -85.97472
MI DNR lake ID
L18562
Vertical exaggeration
2.83×
Basemap
USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size
2.2 MB

Watercraft rules

county-enforced local controls · MI DNR
Restricted hoursdesignated zones
Official rule details1 rule
Restricted hours“Hours for high-speed boating and water skiing”
Where the mapped control areas and the official regulation language differ, the language governs. Official county watercraft controls.

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21
59 / 100MixedData confidence: Medium

Loon Lake has a mixed natural and developed setting, generally sheltered geometry, some nearby classified roads. Watercraft controls: Restricted hours in zones.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

ComponentRatingPoints of weightMeasurement
Natural settingMixed13.9 of 3554% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (35% forest, 15% wetland; 36% developed)
Geometric wind exposureVery Good24.9 of 29mean fetch 630 m · 35% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · generally short fetch
Watercraft controlsRestricted hours in zones10.6 of 18Restricted hours — designated zones only
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 isolationGood9.6 of 18some nearby classified roads · 24 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 422 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
Moderate — 35% forest and 15% 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.

Fish you might catch

from angler catches & active stocking

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

Largemouth Bass
Bullhead
Crappie
Yellow Perchstocked
Bluegill
Hybrid Sunfishstocked
Pumpkinseed
Fathead Minnowstocked

Historically stocked, no recent evidence: Walleye (last planted 1991) — not shown above.

Fishing rules for this lake Beta

Size and daily limits for the 8 species found here — 8 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).
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).
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).
Fathead MinnowOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no possession limit (2026 DNR digest · all other species)
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).
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).
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 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 · 1996–2025

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.

10Catches recorded
5Species
Bullhead4 recorded · to 14.8″ · latest 2025
Bluegill2 recorded · to 10″ · latest 2025
Crappie2 recorded · to 15.4″ · latest 2025
Largemouth Bass1 recorded · to 23″ · latest 2008
Pumpkinseed1 recorded · to 9″ · latest 2008

Biggest on record

Largemouth Bass23″ · 2008 · still fishing
Crappie15.4″ · 1996 · trolling · flatfish
Bullhead14.8″ · 2025 · still fishing · artificial lure
Crappie14.8″ · 2025 · ice fishing · live bait
Bullhead14.5″ · 2023 · still fishing · artificial lure

Bait: live bait (3) · artificial lure (2) · combination (1) · cricket (1)
Method: still fishing (6) · ice fishing (2) · spincasting (1) · trolling (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.

DNR stocking

state stocking record · 1991–2016

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

Fathead minnow60,000 stocked · 2016
Complete stocking history3 older species
Yellow Perch480 stocked · 2015
Hybrid Sunfish200 stocked · 2015
Walleye1,000 stocked · 1991

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≈0.1 mi
🏖 Beach / swim areaon the lake
🎢 Playground≈0.1 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
Fireside Grocery and Sport≈9 mi · (231) 936-10132007 N Benson Rd, Fountain · Google · Apple
Wolfie's Fisherman's Headquarters≈11 mi17675 Caberfae Hwy, Wellstion · Google · Apple
Pappy's Bait & Tackle≈11 mi17092 Caberfae Hwy, Wellston · 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 25 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 102 acres in Lake County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Loon Lake?

The estimated mean depth of Loon Lake is 12.2 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

What fish are in Loon Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, bluegill, bullhead, crappie, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed. The page lists all 8 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.