Merrill Lake
depth
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Depth scale
Survey readout
Merrill Lake is mapped to a depth of 27 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 88 acres in Mecosta 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
- 27 ft
- Mean depth
- 8.2 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 88 acres
- Estimated volume
- 721 acre-ft · 235M gal
- Shoreline
- 1.93 mi · lobed
- Aquatic vegetation
- 26% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- No public DNR launch identified
Additional depth details5 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–27 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 27 ft
63.9% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 5.1% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.
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
- 43.80793, -85.15824
- MI DNR lake ID
- L11747
- Vertical exaggeration
- 2.76×
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.2 MB
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21Merrill 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 | 28.9 of 35 | 82% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (22% forest, 59% wetland; 13% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Very Good | 23.5 of 29 | mean fetch 655 m · 2% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · generally short fetch |
| Watercraft controls | None identified | 8.8 of 18 | No special watercraft restriction identified in the current DNR source. Motors permitted, subject to general law. |
| Public access | Not 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 isolation | Good | 7.6 of 18 | some nearby classified roads · 11 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 2,539 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
- Moderate — approximately 26% 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 59% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →
Fish you might catch
from angler catches4 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colours, not photographs (provenance).
Bullhead
Crappie
Bluegill
PumpkinseedFishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 4 species found here — 4 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 · 2019–2024Trophy-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 (5) · artificial lure (1) · wax worm (1)
Method: still fishing (6) · spincasting (1)
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.
Public fishing access
MI DNR family-friendly fishingCounty-managed · Entry fee · Modern restrooms · Dirt parking
Amenities: Animal-friendly, beach, boat rental, camping, fish cleaning station, grills, picnic tables, playground, shelter, swimming access, walking trails, water pump
“Small warmwater lake with a county park and campground on it. There is a 10 horse power or less rule on the lake. Good fishing from shore as well with docks and shore access.”
At the lake
community-mapped amenities · straight-line distanceBait & tackle nearby
licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distanceMerrill Lake — common questions
How deep is Merrill Lake?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Merrill Lake is 27 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 Merrill Lake?
Merrill Lake covers about 88 acres in Mecosta County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Merrill Lake?
The estimated mean depth of Merrill Lake is 8.2 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
What fish are in Merrill Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include bluegill, bullhead, crappie, pumpkinseed. The page shows the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Merrill Lake?
No public launch for Merrill 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.
