Michigan Lake Depths
NESW

Maltby Lake

Livingston County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey
59ft Max
depth
38 acres 11 contours
Paddling Index68MixedMedium confidencesheltered geometry
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Depth scale

The lake

Survey readout

Maltby Lake is mapped to a depth of 59 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 38 acres in Livingston County, Michigan.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour
59 ft
Mean depth
24.8 ft · estimated
Surface area
38 acres
Estimated volume
949 acre-ft · 309M gal
Shoreline
1.19 mi · lobed
Aquatic vegetation
9% of surface · NDVI estimate
Trophic state
Mesotrophic · satellite estimate · details
Public access
No DNR launch listed · check with Huron Meadows Metropark
In
Huron Meadows Metropark · Huron-Clinton Metroparks
Additional depth details11 contours
Contour depths
0–59 ft
Recorded point soundings
59 ft, 33 ft

33% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 52.9% is deeper than 20 ft. Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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. Color shows surveyed depth; dark lines are the survey's own isobaths.

Coordinates
42.48802, -83.77568
MI DNR lake ID
L11625
Vertical exaggeration
1.67×
Basemap
USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size
2.1 MB

Lake productivity & trophic state

Satellite estimate

Satellite-estimated classification: Mesotrophic. Moderate nutrient levels and biological productivity. Based on satellite estimates of summer chlorophyll-a (LAGOS-US LANDSAT, 2020). No lake-specific measurement is available in this dataset.

Trophic state describes how biologically productive a lake is, based on indicators such as nutrients, algae and water clarity. It is not a swimming-safety or overall water-quality rating.

What do the categories mean?
  • Oligotrophic≤ 2 µg/L · lower nutrient and algae levels, often clearer water and lower biological productivity.
  • Mesotrophic · this lake2–7 µg/L · moderate nutrient levels and biological productivity.
  • Eutrophic7–30 µg/L · higher nutrient levels and biological productivity, often with more algae or aquatic plant growth.
  • Hypereutrophic> 30 µg/L · very high nutrient levels and biological productivity, with a greater potential for heavy algae growth and low water clarity.

Bands are summer (June–August) mean chlorophyll-a, the green pigment in algae, at the EPA 2012 National Lakes Assessment thresholds. Trophic condition can change over time and by measurement method. Source: Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership Conservation Planner; satellite chlorophyll-a estimates from LAGOS-US LANDSAT.

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-23
68 / 100MixedData confidence: Medium

Maltby Lake has a partly natural setting, well sheltered geometry, 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 settingGood20.9 of 3567% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (36% forest, 30% wetland; 29% developed)
Geometric wind exposureExcellent29.4 of 29mean fetch 453 m · 67% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · short fetch in most directions
Watercraft controlsNone identified8.8 of 18No special watercraft restriction identified in the current DNR source. Motors permitted, subject to general law.
Public accessNot listed—No 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 isolationGood8.4 of 18some nearby classified roads · 22 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 6,164 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
Low — approximately 9% 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 — 36% forest and 30% 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 bathymetric survey outline (0 ft isobath), USGS/MRLC NLCD Land Cover (2021), MI DNR Watercraft Control Areas (2026-08) and MDOT Annual Average Daily Traffic (2025). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from angler catches

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

Fishing rules for this lake Beta

Size and daily limits for the 3 species found here — 3 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).
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).
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 summarizes 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).
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).

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 2026-09-15. 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 · 2023–2025

Master Angler catches recorded on this lake — too few to show a pattern, so they are listed individually.

Largemouth Bass23″ · 2025 · spincasting · artificial lure
Largemouth Bass21.5″ · 2024 · spincasting · artificial lure
Bluegill10.1″ · 2024 · spincasting · artificial lure
Pumpkinseed9.2″ · 2023 · ice fishing · live bait
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

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
🚿 Restrooms / vault toileton the lake · 3 mapped
🎢 Playgroundon the lake
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
Livingston Lakes≈2.8 mi10890 East Grand River, Brighton · Google · Apple
Mac's Marina≈4.2 mi · (734) 449-47069876 Main St, Whitmore Lake · Google · Apple
Just for Men & Everybody Else LLC≈4.8 mi · (810) 229-43458077 Grand Travers River Rd, Brighton · 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

Maltby Lake — common questions

How deep is Maltby Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Maltby Lake is 59 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 Maltby Lake?

Maltby Lake covers about 38 acres in Livingston County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Maltby Lake?

The estimated mean depth of Maltby Lake is 24.8 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

What fish are in Maltby Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed. The page shows the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Maltby Lake?

No public launch for Maltby Lake appears in the Michigan DNR access data, but Maltby Lake lies inside Huron Meadows Metropark (Huron-Clinton Metroparks), which runs its own facilities and is not covered by that data. Check with the park for launch details.