Paulding Pond

Ontonagon County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey

8ft Max
depth

10 acres 4 contours Public access 20% weedy

Paddling Index77GoodMedium confidencesheltered geometry · wooded shoreline

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Depth scale

02468

The lake

Survey readout

Paulding Pond is mapped to a depth of 8 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 10 acres in Ontonagon County, Michigan.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 8 ft
Mean depth: 4.1 ft · estimated
Surface area: 10 acres
Estimated volume: 41 acre-ft · 13M gal
Shoreline: 0.71 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 20% of surface · NDVI estimate
Trophic state: Eutrophic · satellite estimate · details
Public access: Boat Launch
In: Ottawa National Forest · U.S. Forest Service

Additional depth details4 contours

Contour depths: 0–8 ft
Recorded point soundings: 8 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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

Ontonagon County, Michigan · all 13 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.

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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. Color shows surveyed depth; dark lines are the survey's own isobaths.

Coordinates: 46.38551, -89.17392
MI DNR lake ID: L42098
Vertical exaggeration: 3.0× below the waterline; land at true scale
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 0.6 MB

Lake productivity & trophic state

Satellite estimate

Satellite-estimated classification: Eutrophic. Higher nutrient levels and biological productivity, often with more algae or aquatic plant growth. Based on satellite estimates of summer chlorophyll-a (LAGOS-US LANDSAT, 2020). No lake-specific measurement is available in this dataset.

Trophic state describes how biologically productive a lake is, based on indicators such as nutrients, algae and water clarity. It is not a swimming-safety or overall water-quality rating.

What do the categories mean?

Oligotrophic≤ 2 µg/L · lower nutrient and algae levels, often clearer water and lower biological productivity.
Mesotrophic2–7 µg/L · moderate nutrient levels and biological productivity.
Eutrophic · this lake7–30 µg/L · higher nutrient levels and biological productivity, often with more algae or aquatic plant growth.
Hypereutrophic> 30 µg/L · very high nutrient levels and biological productivity, with a greater potential for heavy algae growth and low water clarity.

Bands are summer (June–August) mean chlorophyll-a, the green pigment in algae, at the EPA 2012 National Lakes Assessment thresholds. Trophic condition can change over time and by measurement method. Source: Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership Conservation Planner; satellite chlorophyll-a estimates from LAGOS-US LANDSAT.

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-23

77 / 100GoodData confidence: Medium

Paulding Pond has a heavily wooded and largely undeveloped setting, well sheltered geometry, 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	Excellent	29.3 of 35	84% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (35% forest, 50% wetland; 15% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Excellent	29.4 of 29	mean fetch 219 m · 100% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · short fetch in most directions
Watercraft controls	None identified	8.8 of 18	No special watercraft restriction identified in the current DNR source. Motors permitted, subject to general law.
Public access	Not listed	—	No DNR-listed access site. Township, county and road-end launches are not in this source, so this is not evidence that access is poor — the component is excluded and the remaining weights are renormalized.
Road isolation	Good	9.6 of 18	some nearby classified roads · 2 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 1,599 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: High — narrow throughout — passing wakes would reach most of the water
Aquatic vegetation: Moderate — approximately 20% 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 — 35% forest and 50% 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 bathymetric survey outline (0 ft isobath), USGS/MRLC NLCD Land Cover (2021), MI DNR Watercraft Control Areas (2026-08) and MDOT Annual Average Daily Traffic (2025). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from active stocking

No recent catch, survey, or stocking data for this lake.

Historically stocked, no recent evidence: Brook Trout (last planted 2013), Brown Trout (last planted 2004) — not shown above.

Compiled from Michigan DNR stockings within the last 10 years. Silhouettes are stylized and scaled to typical adult sizes relative to one another. Presence is not a promise — fishing isn’t a sure thing.

DNR stocking

state stocking record · 1979–2013

Fish the Michigan DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.

Brook trout4,884 stocked · 2005–2013 · 9 plantings

Brown trout12,448 stocked · 1979–2004 · 20 plantings

No stockings recorded since 2013 — shown as history.

Source: Michigan DNR Fish Stocking Database.

Non-native species records

1 record

Plants & algae

Reed Canarygrass

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

Wilderness Bay Lodge & Resort≈14.5 mi · (800) 445-5370E20060 Thousand Island Lake Rd, Watersmeet · 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

Paulding Pond — common questions

How deep is Paulding Pond?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Paulding Pond is 8 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 Paulding Pond?

Paulding Pond covers about 10 acres in Ontonagon County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Paulding Pond?

The estimated mean depth of Paulding Pond is 4.1 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

Is there public access to Paulding Pond?

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