Pretty Lake
depth
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Depth scale
Survey readout
Pretty Lake is mapped to a depth of 68 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 48 acres in Luce County, Michigan.
Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.
- Deepest mapped contour
- 68 ft
- Mean depth
- 32.9 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 48 acres
- Estimated volume
- 1,590 acre-ft · 518M gal
- Shoreline
- 1 mi · round
- Aquatic vegetation
- 0% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- No public DNR launch identified
Additional depth details9 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–68 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 68 ft
23.2% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 65.3% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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
- 46.60108, -85.66050
- MI DNR lake ID
- L31794
- Vertical exaggeration
- 1.4×
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.1 MB
Watercraft rules
county-enforced local controls · MI DNROfficial rule details1 rule
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21Pretty Lake has a heavily wooded and largely undeveloped setting, well sheltered geometry, little nearby major-road exposure. Watercraft controls: Motorboats prohibited.
Why this score?5 components
Included in the index
| Component | Rating | Points of weight | Measurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural setting | Excellent | 27.4 of 30 | 89% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (55% forest, 34% wetland; 2% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Excellent | 25.0 of 25 | mean fetch 419 m · 96% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · short fetch in most directions |
| Watercraft controls | Motorboats prohibited | 15.0 of 15 | Motorboats prohibited |
| Public access | Excellent | 15.0 of 15 | 1 site with DNR boating-facility records · carry-in launch |
| Road isolation | Excellent | 12.9 of 15 | relatively isolated from major roads · 1 MDOT-classified segment within 1.2 km, peak 287 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 0% 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 — 55% forest and 34% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →
Fish you might catch
from angler catches, DNR surveys & active stocking3 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colours, not photographs (provenance).
Walleyestocked
Splakestocked
Smallmouth BassHistorically stocked, no recent evidence: Lake Trout (last planted 1989), Rainbow Trout (last planted 1989), Brook Trout (last planted 1989), Brown Trout (last planted 1984) — not shown above.
Fishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 3 species found here — 3 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 · 2023One Master Angler catch is on record for this lake: 21″ smallmouth bass in 2023 on live bait.
DNR stocking
state stocking record · 1979–2026Fish the Michigan DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.
Complete stocking history4 older species
Non-native species records
1 recordFish
- Brown TroutMichigan DNR stocking records also document Brown Trout stocking in this lake.
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 distancePretty Lake — common questions
How deep is Pretty Lake?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Pretty Lake is 68 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 Pretty Lake?
Pretty Lake covers about 48 acres in Luce County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Pretty Lake?
The estimated mean depth of Pretty Lake is 32.9 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
What fish are in Pretty Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include smallmouth bass, splake, walleye. The page shows the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Pretty Lake?
No public launch for Pretty Lake appears in the Michigan DNR access data. That is not the same as the lake being private -- municipal and private ramps are not in that source.
