Perch Lake
depth
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Depth scale
Survey readout
Perch Lake is mapped to a depth of 14 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 988 acres in Iron County, Michigan.
Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.
- Deepest mapped contour
- 14 ft
- Mean depth
- 9.1 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 988 acres
- Estimated volume
- 9,025 acre-ft · 2,941M gal
- Shoreline
- 6.41 mi · lobed
- Aquatic vegetation
- 2% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- Boat Launch
Additional depth details7 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–14 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 14 ft
42.6% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.
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
- 46.36055, -88.66334
- MI DNR lake ID
- L32215
- Vertical exaggeration
- 12.0× below the waterline; land at true scale
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.4 MB
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21Perch Lake has a mostly natural, lightly developed setting, moderate open-water exposure, 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 | Very Good | 25.9 of 35 | 73% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (38% forest, 34% wetland; 8% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Good | 9.1 of 29 | mean fetch 2,129 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · moderate open-water fetch |
| 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 | Very Good | 11.8 of 18 | limited nearby major-road exposure · 5 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 117 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
- High — 38% forest and 34% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →
Fish you might catch
from angler catches & active stocking6 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colours, not photographs (provenance).
White Sucker
Bullhead
Black CrappieCrappie
Yellow Perchstocked
BluegillHistorically stocked, no recent evidence: Walleye (last planted 2011) — not shown above.
Fishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 6 species found here — 6 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.
Official rule text for this lake
“no size limit on Northern Pike and up to five (5) Northern Pike may be retained in the daily possession limit with only one (1) 24-inches or greater. (Dawson Lake water shall expire on September 15, 2028).” — FO-206
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 · 1994–2022Trophy-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: crawler (6) · live bait (1)
Method: spincasting (9) · still fishing (6) · trolling (3)
DNR stocking
state stocking record · 1985–2016Fish 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
- Narrow-leaved Cattail
- Purple Loosestrife
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.
At the lake
community-mapped amenities · straight-line distancePerch Lake — common questions
How deep is Perch Lake?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Perch Lake is 14 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 Perch Lake?
Perch Lake covers about 988 acres in Iron County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Perch Lake?
The estimated mean depth of Perch Lake is 9.1 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
What fish are in Perch Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include black crappie, bluegill, bullhead, crappie, yellow perch, white sucker. The page shows the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Perch Lake?
Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 1 public access site on Perch Lake, including Perch Lake.
