Marl Lake
depth
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Depth scale
Survey readout
Marl Lake is mapped to a depth of 4 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 229 acres in Roscommon County, Michigan.
Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.
- Deepest mapped contour
- 4 ft
- Mean depth
- 2.3 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 229 acres
- Estimated volume
- 524 acre-ft · 171M gal
- Shoreline
- 2.9 mi · lobed
- Aquatic vegetation
- 7% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- Boat Launch · Rec Passport
- In
- South Higgins Lake State Park · 1,367 ac
Additional depth details2 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–4 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 4 ft
Other waters with a public launch on this map: Higgins Lake. Their launches are not marked on the model — only Marl Lake’s own are.
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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.
Compare with another lakeProvenance
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. Colour shows surveyed depth; dark lines are the survey's own isobaths.
- Coordinates
- 44.42352, -84.66869
- MI DNR lake ID
- L6994
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.2 MB
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21Marl Lake has a heavily wooded and largely undeveloped setting, generally 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
| Component | Rating | Points of weight | Measurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural setting | Excellent | 28.5 of 30 | 89% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (22% forest, 67% wetland; 1% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Very Good | 15.8 of 25 | mean fetch 981 m · 4% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · generally short 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 | 2 sites with DNR boating-facility records · 9 ramp lanes · 222 trailer spaces |
| Road isolation | Good | 6.3 of 15 | some nearby classified roads · 21 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 2,859 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 7% 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 — 22% forest and 67% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →
Fish you might catch
from angler catches5 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
Common Carp
Bowfin
Bullhead
BluegillFishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 5 species found here — 5 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.
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
Notable catches
Master Angler program · 1999–2019Trophy-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.
Biggest on record
Bait: worm (1)
Method: spearfishing (5) · spincasting (2)
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.
Bait & tackle nearby
licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distanceMarl Lake — common questions
How deep is Marl Lake?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Marl Lake is 4 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 Marl Lake?
Marl Lake covers about 229 acres in Roscommon County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Marl Lake?
The estimated mean depth of Marl Lake is 2.3 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
What fish are in Marl Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include bluegill, bowfin, bullhead, longnose gar, common carp. The page shows the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Marl Lake?
Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 1 public access site on Marl Lake, including Marl Lake.
