Muskellunge Lake
depth
Get directions
Depth scale
Survey readout
Muskellunge Lake is mapped to a depth of 37 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 132 acres in Montcalm County, Michigan.
Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.
- Deepest sounding
- 37 ft
- Mean depth
- 16.1 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 132 acres
- Estimated volume
- 2,113 acre-ft · 689M gal
- Shoreline
- 3.51 mi · irregular
- Aquatic vegetation
- 6% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- Boat Launch
Additional depth details12 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–37 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 37 ft, 36 ft, 34 ft, 28 ft, 28 ft, 13 ft
31.1% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 45.8% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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.
⚠ Not for navigationSpot 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
- 43.31591, -85.34704
- MI DNR lake ID
- L15760
- Vertical exaggeration
- 2.42×
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.3 MB
Watercraft rules
county-enforced local controls · MI DNROfficial rule details1 rule
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21Muskellunge Lake has a mixed natural and developed setting, generally sheltered geometry, nearby higher-volume roads. Watercraft controls: Restricted hours.
Why this score?5 components
Included in the index
| Component | Rating | Points of weight | Measurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural setting | Mixed | 8.4 of 30 | 46% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (12% forest, 31% wetland; 40% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Very Good | 18.2 of 25 | mean fetch 798 m · 13% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · generally short fetch |
| Watercraft controls | Restricted hours | 9.3 of 15 | Restricted hours |
| Public access | Good | 12.8 of 15 | 1 site with DNR boating-facility records · 1 ramp lane · 11 trailer spaces |
| Road isolation | Mixed | 6.1 of 15 | nearby higher-volume roads · 34 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 1,479 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 6% 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 — 12% forest and 31% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →
Fish you might catch
from angler catches & active stocking4 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colours, not photographs (provenance).
Bowfin
Walleye
Redear Sunfish
BluegillFishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 4 species found here — 4 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 · 2014–2025Trophy-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: artificial lure (3) · live bait (1) · bluegill (1)
Method: spincasting (2) · still fishing (2) · ice fishing (1)
DNR stocking
state stocking record · 1990–2010Fish the Michigan DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.
No stockings recorded since 2010 — 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 distanceBait & tackle nearby
licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distanceMuskellunge Lake — common questions
How deep is Muskellunge Lake?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Muskellunge Lake is 37 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 Muskellunge Lake?
Muskellunge Lake covers about 132 acres in Montcalm County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Muskellunge Lake?
The estimated mean depth of Muskellunge Lake is 16.1 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
What fish are in Muskellunge Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include walleye, bluegill, bowfin, redear sunfish. The page shows the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Muskellunge Lake?
Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 1 public access site on Muskellunge Lake, including Muskellunge Lake.
