Otis Lake

Barry County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey

5ft Max
depth

134 acres 1 contour Public access 73% weedy

Paddling Index80Very Goodwooded shoreline · away from major roads · sheltered geometry

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Depth scale

The lake

Survey readout

Otis Lake is mapped to a depth of 5 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 134 acres in Barry County, Michigan.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 5 ft
Mean depth: 3.2 ft · estimated
Surface area: 134 acres
Estimated volume: 435 acre-ft · 142M gal
Shoreline: 2.19 mi · round
Aquatic vegetation: 73% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Boat Launch

Additional depth details1 contour

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

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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.

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Location

Barry County, Michigan · 15 nearest of 47 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: 42.60981, -85.41445
MI DNR lake ID: L19528
Vertical exaggeration: 12.0× below the waterline; land at true scale
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.1 MB

Paddling

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

80 / 100Very GoodData confidence: High

Otis Lake has a heavily wooded and largely undeveloped 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	Excellent	28.9 of 30	92% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (31% forest, 60% wetland; 6% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Very Good	18.4 of 25	mean fetch 761 m · 0% 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	Excellent	15.0 of 15	1 site with DNR boating-facility records · carry-in launch
Road isolation	Very Good	10.1 of 15	limited nearby major-road exposure · 9 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 605 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 73% 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: High — 31% forest and 60% 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

1 record

Other invertebrates

Freshwater Jellyfish

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 distance

Bob's Guns & Tackle Shop≈4.9 mi2208 W Hwy M-43, Hastings · Google · Apple

Yankee Springs Marathon≈5.2 mi · (269) 795-780611300 W M-179 Hwy, Middleville · Google · Apple

Gillett's Bait & Hardware≈6 mi · (269) 672-537112258 Marsh Rd, Shelbyville · 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

Otis Lake — common questions

How deep is Otis Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Otis 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 Otis Lake?

Otis Lake covers about 134 acres in Barry County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Otis Lake?

The estimated mean depth of Otis Lake is 3.2 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

Is there public access to Otis Lake?

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