Pickerel Lake
depth
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Depth scale
Survey readout
Pickerel Lake is mapped to a depth of 73 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 311 acres in Newaygo County, Michigan.
Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.
- Deepest sounding
- 73 ft
- Mean depth
- 26.7 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 311 acres
- Estimated volume
- 8,311 acre-ft · 2,708M gal
- Shoreline
- 4.8 mi · irregular
- Aquatic vegetation
- 6% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- Boat Launch
Additional depth details15 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–73 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 73 ft, 57 ft, 50 ft, 50 ft, 43 ft, 37 ft
29.3% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 60.1% is deeper than 20 ft; the survey shows 2 distinct basins. Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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
- 43.45753, -85.81033
- MI DNR lake ID
- L18843
- Vertical exaggeration
- 1.4×
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.5 MB
Watercraft rules
county-enforced local controls · MI DNROfficial rule details1 rule
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21Pickerel Lake has a partly natural setting, generally sheltered geometry, some nearby classified roads. Watercraft controls: Restricted hours.
Why this score?5 components
Included in the index
| Component | Rating | Points of weight | Measurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural setting | Good | 13.6 of 30 | 59% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (45% forest, 13% wetland; 31% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Very Good | 14.0 of 25 | mean fetch 1,166 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · generally short fetch |
| Watercraft controls | Restricted hours | 9.3 of 15 | Restricted hours |
| Public access | Good | 12.8 of 15 | 1 site with DNR boating-facility records · 1 ramp lane · 5 trailer spaces |
| Road isolation | Good | 7.9 of 15 | some nearby classified roads · 15 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 3,382 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 6% 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 — 45% forest and 13% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →
Fish you might catch
from DNR surveys9 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colours, not photographs (provenance).
Largemouth Bass
Smallmouth Bass
Brown Bullhead
Black Bullhead
Black Crappie
Yellow Bullhead
Bluegill
Rock Bass
PumpkinseedFishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 9 species found here — 9 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.” — 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
Fishery
surveyed 2017 · DNR SFR 2019-267Gamefish Largemouth Bass 5 · Smallmouth Bass 1
Panfish Bluegill 24 · Rock Bass 6 · Black Crappie 5
All survey species9 species
Gamefish
Panfish
Bullhead & catfish
Forage & nongame
Non-native species records
7 recordsMussels & snails
- Zebra Mussel
Plants & algae
- Curly-leaf Pondweed
- Eurasian Watermilfoil
- Narrow-leaved Cattail
- Purple Loosestrife
- Starry Stonewort
- Yellow Iris
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 distanceBait & tackle nearby
licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distancePickerel Lake — common questions
How deep is Pickerel Lake?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Pickerel Lake is 73 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 Pickerel Lake?
Pickerel Lake covers about 311 acres in Newaygo County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Pickerel Lake?
The estimated mean depth of Pickerel Lake is 26.7 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
What fish are in Pickerel Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead. The page lists all 9 species and the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Pickerel Lake?
Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 1 public access site on Pickerel Lake, including Pickerel Lake.
