North Lake

Lake County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey

28ft Max
depth

54 acres 14 contours Public access

Paddling Index73Goodsheltered geometry · away from major roads

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Depth scale

025101316202628

The lake

Survey readout

North Lake is mapped to a depth of 28 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 54 acres in Lake County, Michigan.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.

Deepest sounding: 28 ft
Mean depth: 6.9 ft · estimated
Surface area: 54 acres
Estimated volume: 375 acre-ft · 122M gal
Shoreline: 1.51 mi · lobed
Aquatic vegetation: 2% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Boat Launch

Additional depth details14 contours

Contour depths: 0–28 ft
Recorded point soundings: 28 ft, 26 ft, 17 ft, 16 ft, 13 ft, 13 ft

76.1% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 6.7% is deeper than 20 ft. Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.

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Location

Lake County, Michigan · 15 nearest of 40 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: 43.86345, -85.83316
MI DNR lake ID: L16731
Vertical exaggeration: 2.73×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.2 MB

Paddling

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

73 / 100GoodData confidence: High

North Lake has a partly natural setting, well 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	17.1 of 30	65% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (43% forest, 21% wetland; 29% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Excellent	25.0 of 25	mean fetch 457 m · 64% 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	1 site with DNR boating-facility records · 1 ramp lane · 3 trailer spaces
Road isolation	Very Good	10.7 of 15	limited nearby major-road exposure · 28 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 4,523 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 2% 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 — 43% forest and 21% 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.

Bait & tackle nearby

licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distance

Baldwin Bait & Tackle Inc≈1.3 mi9331 S M-37, Baldwin · Google · Apple

Big Bear Sports and Hardware≈12.3 mi7342 N Woodbridge, White Cloud · 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

North Lake — common questions

How deep is North Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of North Lake is 28 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 North Lake?

North Lake covers about 54 acres in Lake County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of North Lake?

The estimated mean depth of North Lake is 6.9 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

Is there public access to North Lake?

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