Michigan Lake Depths
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Mohican Lake

Livingston County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey
27ft Max
depth
18 acres 6 contours
Paddling Index69MixedMedium confidencesheltered geometry · wooded shoreline
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Depth scale

The lake

Survey readout

Mohican Lake is mapped to a depth of 27 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 18 acres in Livingston County, Michigan.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour
27 ft
Mean depth
15.4 ft · estimated
Surface area
18 acres
Estimated volume
268 acre-ft · 87M gal
Shoreline
0.75 mi · lobed
Aquatic vegetation
18% of surface · NDVI estimate
Trophic state
Eutrophic · satellite estimate · details
Public access
No public DNR launch identified
Additional depth details6 contours
Contour depths
0–27 ft
Recorded point soundings
27 ft

29.6% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 39.4% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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
42.45735, -83.87432
MI DNR lake ID
L4034
Vertical exaggeration
2.76× below the waterline; land at true scale
Basemap
USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size
0.9 MB

Lake productivity & trophic state

Satellite estimate

Satellite-estimated classification: Eutrophic. Higher nutrient levels and biological productivity, often with more algae or aquatic plant growth. 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.
  • Mesotrophic2–7 µg/L · moderate nutrient levels and biological productivity.
  • Eutrophic · this lake7–30 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
69 / 100MixedData confidence: Medium

Mohican Lake has a mostly natural, lightly developed 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 settingVery Good22.2 of 3567% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (5% forest, 62% wetland; 28% developed)
Geometric wind exposureExcellent29.4 of 29mean fetch 269 m · 100% 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 isolationGood8.3 of 18some nearby classified roads · 16 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 14,451 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
Moderate — approximately 18% 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 — 5% forest and 62% 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.

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 distance
Dinkelville Melons≈5.9 mi · (517) 548-41331006 W Schafer Rd, Howell · Google · Apple
Mac's Marina≈6 mi · (734) 449-47069876 Main St, Whitmore Lake · Google · Apple
Just for Men & Everybody Else LLC≈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

Mohican Lake — common questions

How deep is Mohican Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Mohican 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 Mohican Lake?

Mohican Lake covers about 18 acres in Livingston County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Mohican Lake?

The estimated mean depth of Mohican Lake is 15.4 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

Is there public access to Mohican Lake?

No public launch for Mohican 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.