Murphy Lake
depth
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Depth scale
Survey readout
Murphy Lake is mapped to a depth of 40 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 183 acres in Tuscola 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
- 40 ft
- Mean depth
- 6.9 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 183 acres
- Estimated volume
- 1,274 acre-ft · 415M gal
- Shoreline
- 5.38 mi · irregular
- Aquatic vegetation
- 17% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- Boat Launch
Additional depth details6 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–40 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 40 ft
76.6% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 13.8% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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
- 43.29881, -83.46221
- MI DNR lake ID
- L1235
- Vertical exaggeration
- 2.32×
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.5 MB
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21Murphy Lake has a mostly natural, lightly developed 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 | Very Good | 23.1 of 35 | 72% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (45% forest, 24% wetland; 19% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Very Good | 23.2 of 29 | mean fetch 706 m · 24% 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 | 11.9 of 18 | limited nearby major-road exposure · 8 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 2,874 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 17% 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 — 45% forest and 24% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →
Fish you might catch
from angler catches, DNR surveys & active stocking15 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colours, not photographs (provenance).
Flathead Catfish
Northern Pike
Channel Catfish
Walleye
Largemouth Bass
White Sucker
Brown Bullhead
Black CrappieCrappie
Yellow Bullhead
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Hybrid Sunfish
Pumpkinseed
Green SunfishHistorically stocked, no recent evidence: Fathead Minnow (last planted 1988), Tiger Muskellunge (last planted 1983), Muskellunge (last planted 1979) — not shown above.
Fishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 15 species found here — 15 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 · 1995–2025Trophy-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: live bait (2) · artificial lure (1) · jitter bug (1)
Method: spincasting (5) · ice fishing (3) · still fishing (1)
Fishery
Gamefish Walleye 19 · Largemouth Bass 14 · Channel Catfish 11 · Northern Pike 10
Panfish Bluegill 418 · Black Crappie 92 · Hybrid Sunfish 7
All survey species13 species
Gamefish
Panfish
Bullhead & catfish
Forage & nongame
DNR stocking
state stocking record · 1979–2025Fish the Michigan DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.
Complete stocking history6 older species
Non-native species records
2 recordsFish
- Common Carp
- Flathead Catfish
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.
Bait & tackle nearby
licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distanceMurphy Lake — common questions
How deep is Murphy Lake?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Murphy Lake is 40 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 Murphy Lake?
Murphy Lake covers about 183 acres in Tuscola County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Murphy Lake?
The estimated mean depth of Murphy Lake is 6.9 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
What fish are in Murphy Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include channel catfish, flathead catfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, black crappie. The page lists all 15 species and the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Murphy Lake?
Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 1 public access site on Murphy Lake, including Murphy Lake.
