Monocle Lake
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Depth scale
Survey readout
Monocle Lake is mapped to a depth of 55 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 148 acres in Chippewa 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 mapped contour
- 55 ft
- Mean depth
- 21.7 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 148 acres
- Estimated volume
- 3,214 acre-ft · 1,047M gal
- Shoreline
- 2.22 mi · lobed
- Aquatic vegetation
- 28% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- No public DNR launch identified
Additional depth details11 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–55 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 55 ft, 45 ft, 30 ft
21.8% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 47.6% is deeper than 20 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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
- 46.47403, -84.64525
- MI DNR lake ID
- L27740
- Vertical exaggeration
- 1.81×
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.4 MB
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21Monocle Lake has a partly natural setting, generally sheltered geometry, limited nearby major-road exposure. 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 | Good | 20.6 of 35 | 62% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (50% forest, 12% wetland; 14% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Very Good | 20.5 of 29 | mean fetch 836 m · 0% 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 | Very Good | 11.0 of 18 | limited nearby major-road exposure · 21 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 641 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 28% 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 — 50% forest and 12% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →
Fish you might catch
from angler catches, DNR surveys & active stocking2 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colours, not photographs (provenance).
White Sucker
Smallmouth BassstockedHistorically stocked, no recent evidence: Walleye (last planted 1991) — not shown above.
Fishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 2 species found here — 2 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 · 1996One Master Angler catch is on record for this lake: 23.5″ white sucker in 1996 on nightcrawler.
DNR stocking
state stocking record · 1979–1991Fish the Michigan DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.
No stockings recorded since 1991 — shown as history.
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 distanceMonocle Lake — common questions
How deep is Monocle Lake?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Monocle Lake is 55 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 Monocle Lake?
Monocle Lake covers about 148 acres in Chippewa County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Monocle Lake?
The estimated mean depth of Monocle Lake is 21.7 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
What fish are in Monocle Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include smallmouth bass, white sucker. The page shows the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Monocle Lake?
No public launch for Monocle 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.
