Otter Lake
depth
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Depth scale
Survey readout
Otter Lake is mapped to a depth of 29 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 892 acres in Houghton County, Michigan.
Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.
- Deepest sounding
- 29 ft
- Mean depth
- 17.4 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 892 acres
- Estimated volume
- 15,554 acre-ft · 5,068M gal
- Shoreline
- 7.05 mi · irregular
- Aquatic vegetation
- 7% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- Boat Launch
Additional depth details6 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–29 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 29 ft
Other waters with a public launch on this map: Sturgeon River. Their launches are not marked on the model — only Otter Lake’s own are.
23.5% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 53.5% is deeper than 20 ft. Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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
- 46.91309, -88.57355
- MI DNR lake ID
- L36510
- Vertical exaggeration
- 2.69×
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.5 MB
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21Otter Lake has a mostly natural, lightly developed setting, notable open-water exposure, some nearby classified 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 | Very Good | 22.0 of 30 | 73% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (38% forest, 35% wetland; 8% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Mixed | 6.3 of 25 | mean fetch 2,444 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · long fetch in some 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 | 2 sites with DNR boating-facility records · 2 ramp lanes · 10 trailer spaces |
| Road isolation | Good | 8.4 of 15 | some nearby classified roads · 23 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 2,064 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 7% 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 — 38% forest and 35% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →
Fish you might catch
from angler catches & active stocking5 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colours, not photographs (provenance).
Walleye
Largemouth Bass
Smallmouth Bassstocked
Brook Trout
PumpkinseedHistorically stocked, no recent evidence: Tiger Muskellunge (last planted 1981) — not shown above.
Fishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 5 species found here — 5 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 · 2010–2018Trophy-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: worm (3) · shiner (1)
Method: still fishing (2) · spincasting (2) · ice fishing (1)
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.
Non-native species records
2 recordsPlants & algae
- Forget-me-not
Fish
- Common Carp
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 distanceOtter Lake — common questions
How deep is Otter Lake?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Otter Lake is 29 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 Otter Lake?
Otter Lake covers about 892 acres in Houghton County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Otter Lake?
The estimated mean depth of Otter Lake is 17.4 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
What fish are in Otter Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include brook trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, pumpkinseed. The page shows the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Otter Lake?
Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 1 public access site on Otter Lake, including Otter Lake.
