Middle Lake

Oakland County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey

39ft Max
depth

24 acres 8 contours Public access

Paddling Index49Modestsheltered geometry

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Depth scale

0510152025303539

The lake

Survey readout

Middle Lake is mapped to a depth of 39 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 24 acres in Oakland County, Michigan.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.

Deepest sounding: 39 ft
Mean depth: 24.8 ft · estimated
Surface area: 24 acres
Estimated volume: 596 acre-ft · 194M gal
Shoreline: 0.93 mi · lobed
Aquatic vegetation: 3% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Boat Launch

Additional depth details8 contours

Contour depths: 0–39 ft
Recorded point soundings: 39 ft

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

17.3% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 70.9% is deeper than 20 ft. Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.

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Location

Oakland County, Michigan · 15 nearest of 116 lakes · tap a dot for that lake

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: 42.72765, -83.42489
MI DNR lake ID: L5268
Vertical exaggeration: 2.35×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 1.9 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21

49 / 100ModestData confidence: High

Middle Lake has a substantially developed setting, well sheltered geometry, substantial nearby higher-volume 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	Modest	5.0 of 30	37% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (0% forest, 35% wetland; 49% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Excellent	25.0 of 25	mean fetch 381 m · 96% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · short fetch in most directions
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	10.5 of 15	1 site with DNR boating-facility records
Road isolation	Modest	0.8 of 15	substantial nearby higher-volume roads · 77 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 34,492 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 3% 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: Limited — 0% forest and 35% wetland cover within 150 m of shore

Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →

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.

Non-native species records

1 record

Plants & algae

Reed Canarygrass

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 areaon the lake

🎢 Playground≈0.2 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

The Bait Shop LLC≈3.7 mi2574 AirPort Rd, Waterford · Google · Apple

Jay's Big Bass Outdoors Inc≈4.2 mi4250 Dixie Hwy, Waterford · Google · Apple

Lakeview Party Store & Pizza≈7.9 mi990 S Cass Lake Rd, Waterford · 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

Middle Lake — common questions

How deep is Middle Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Middle Lake is 39 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 Middle Lake?

Middle Lake covers about 24 acres in Oakland County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Middle Lake?

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

Is there public access to Middle Lake?

No public launch for Middle 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.

More lakes in Oakland County