Murray Lake

Kent County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey

60ft Max
depth

313 acres 7 contours Public access

Paddling Index47Modestsheltered geometry

Get directions

Depth scale

05102030405060

The lake

Survey readout

Murray Lake is mapped to a depth of 60 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 313 acres in Kent County, Michigan.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 60 ft
Mean depth: 26.2 ft · estimated
Surface area: 313 acres
Estimated volume: 8,229 acre-ft · 2,681M gal
Shoreline: 5.85 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 4% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Boat Launch

Additional depth details7 contours

Contour depths: 0–60 ft
Recorded point soundings: 60 ft

24.6% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 59.1% is deeper than 20 ft; the survey shows 4 distinct basins. Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.

Compare with another lake

Location

Kent County, Michigan · 15 nearest of 39 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

Spot an error? Send a correction

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: 43.03340, -85.38040
MI DNR lake ID: L14933
Vertical exaggeration: 1.64×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.3 MB

Paddling

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

47 / 100ModestData confidence: High

Murray Lake has a mixed natural and developed setting, generally 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	Mixed	7.5 of 30	44% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (16% forest, 27% wetland; 38% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Very Good	15.7 of 25	mean fetch 991 m · 4% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · generally short fetch
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 · 23 trailer spaces
Road isolation	Mixed	3.8 of 15	nearby higher-volume roads · 25 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 3,635 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: Low — approximately 4% 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 — 16% forest and 27% 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.

Fish you might catch

from angler catches

10 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colours, not photographs (provenance).

Muskellunge

Longnose Gar

Northern Pike

Bowfin

Largemouth Bass

Bullhead

Crappie

Yellow Perch

Bluegill

Rock Bass

Fishing rules for this lake Beta

Size and daily limits for the 10 species found here — 9 open to harvest, 1 with a special rule or closed season.

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.

MuskellungeSpecial rulesNamed in a fisheries order for this lake — see the rule text below

BluegillOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).

Beta. This panel is newly published. Every value is parsed from the Michigan DNR fisheries orders and hand-checked against the printed digest, but the coverage and wording are still under review. If anything here disagrees with the Michigan DNR's Fisheries Orders or its printed digest, the DNR is right — the signed Fisheries Order is the legal text; the digest summarises it.

BowfinOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no possession limit (2026 DNR digest · all other species)

BullheadOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no possession limit (2026 DNR digest · all other species)

CrappieOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).

Largemouth BassOpen to harvestMinimum size: 14" · Daily limit: 5 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 5 is in any combination of Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, not 5 of each (FO-215.23A).

Longnose GarOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no possession limit (2026 DNR digest · all other species)

MuskellungeSpecial rulesNamed in a fisheries order for this lake — see the rule text below

Northern PikeOpen to harvestMinimum size: 24" · Daily limit: 2 (FO-215 · statewide inland)

Rock BassOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).

Yellow PerchOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland)

Official rule text for this lake

“the minimum size limit for Muskellunge is 46-inches.” — FO-206

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

Compiled from registered Master Angler catches. Silhouettes are stylized and scaled to typical adult sizes relative to one another. Presence is not a promise — fishing isn’t a sure thing.

Notable catches

Master Angler program · 1995–2025

Trophy-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.

48Catches recorded

10Species

Muskellunge17 recorded · to 49.2″

Bluegill8 recorded · to 11″

Crappie8 recorded · to 16″

Largemouth Bass5 recorded · to 25.5″

Catch details by species10 species

Muskellunge17 recorded · to 49.2″ · latest 2022

Bluegill8 recorded · to 11″ · latest 2025

Crappie8 recorded · to 16″ · latest 2024

Largemouth Bass5 recorded · to 25.5″ · latest 2025

Bullhead3 recorded · to 14.5″ · latest 2004

Bowfin2 recorded · to 29.5″ · latest 2023

Longnose Gar2 recorded · to 44.5″ · latest 2015

Northern Pike1 recorded · to 40.2″ · latest 1996

Rock Bass1 recorded · to 11.8″ · latest 2002

Yellow Perch1 recorded · to 14″ · latest 2017

Biggest on record

Muskellunge49.2″ · 2022 · spincasting · artificial lure

Muskellunge49.1″ · 2011 · spincasting

Muskellunge47.2″ · 1997 · trolling

Muskellunge47″ · 2016 · spincasting

Bait: live bait (7) · artificial lure (5) · wax worm (3)
Method: spincasting (15) · still fishing (11) · ice fishing (10) · trolling (7)

Master Angler entries are fish that met the program’s minimum size and were registered by the angler — they show what this lake has produced, not what a day here will produce. A catch on record is history, not a species listing: “Fish you might catch” lists only species with current evidence. Source: Michigan DNR Master Angler data.

Non-native species records

9 records

Mussels & snails

Banded Mysterysnail
Chinese Mysterysnail
Freshwater Golden Clam
Zebra Mussel

Plants & algae

Curly-leaf Pondweed
Eurasian Watermilfoil
Narrow-leaved Cattail
Purple Loosestrife
Yellow Iris

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

🚿 Restrooms / vault toileton the lake

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

Fish and Finn Outfitters and Consignment≈7.2 mi · (616) 987-332298 E Main St, Lowell · Google · Apple

Blake's Beads and Bait≈7.2 mi216 E Main St, Lowell · Google · Apple

A Grand Addiction Guide Service≈8.6 mi14337 Obertey Dr, Lowell · 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

Murray Lake — common questions

How deep is Murray Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Murray Lake is 60 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 Murray Lake?

Murray Lake covers about 313 acres in Kent County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Murray Lake?

The estimated mean depth of Murray Lake is 26.2 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

What fish are in Murray Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, bluegill, bowfin, bullhead. The page lists all 10 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Murray Lake?

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