Mud Lake

St. Joseph County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey

5ft Max
depth

76 acres 1 contour Public access 85% weedy

Paddling Index72Goodsheltered geometry · wooded shoreline

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Depth scale

The lake

Survey readout

Mud Lake is mapped to a depth of 5 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 76 acres in St. Joseph County, Michigan.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 5 ft
Mean depth: 3.4 ft · estimated
Surface area: 76 acres
Estimated volume: 262 acre-ft · 85M gal
Shoreline: 3.14 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 85% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Boat Launch

Additional depth details1 contour

Contour depths: 0–5 ft
Recorded point soundings: 5 ft

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

100% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; the survey shows 3 distinct basins. Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.

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Location

St. Joseph County, Michigan · 15 nearest of 26 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: 41.93540, -85.72586
MI DNR lake ID: L32035
Vertical exaggeration: 12.0× below the waterline; land at true scale
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.2 MB

Paddling

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

72 / 100GoodData confidence: High

Mud Lake has a mostly natural, lightly developed setting, well sheltered geometry, 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	Very Good	20.6 of 30	76% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (62% forest, 14% wetland; 20% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Excellent	25.0 of 25	mean fetch 448 m · 60% 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	12.8 of 15	2 sites with DNR boating-facility records · 2 ramp lanes · 13 trailer spaces
Road isolation	Mixed	6.0 of 15	nearby higher-volume roads · 37 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 2,794 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: High — approximately 85% 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 — 62% forest and 14% 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

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 distance

⛻ Campground≈0.8 mi

🚿 Restrooms / vault toileton the lake · 2 mapped

🎢 Playground≈0.4 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

Elk Park Feed Store≈10.7 mi60559 Calvin Center RD, Vandalia · Google · Apple

PCCO≈12.4 mi23633 Wakeman Rd, Mendon · Google · Apple

Hall's Bait Shop≈12.7 mi15573 US 12, Union · 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

Mud Lake — common questions

How deep is Mud Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Mud Lake is 5 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 Mud Lake?

Mud Lake covers about 76 acres in St. Joseph County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Mud Lake?

The estimated mean depth of Mud Lake is 3.4 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

Is there public access to Mud Lake?

Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 1 public access site on Mud Lake, including Mud Lake.