Michigan Lake Depths All Michigan lakes
NESW

Round Lake

Emmet County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey
12ft Max
depth
364 acres 6 contours Public access
Paddling Index45Modest
Get directions

Depth scale

The lake

Survey readout

Round Lake is mapped to a depth of 12 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 364 acres in Emmet County, Michigan.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey (depths read from the survey's isobath field; this lake's summary-depth column is blank in the source).

Deepest mapped contour
12 ft
Mean depth
5 ft · estimated
Surface area
364 acres
Estimated volume
1,826 acre-ft · 595M gal
Shoreline
3.36 mi · lobed
Aquatic vegetation
2% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access
Boat Launch
Additional depth details6 contours
Contour depths
0–12 ft
Recorded point soundings
12 ft

96.8% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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 lake
Location
Emmet County, Michigan · all 10 lakes and 1 bay · 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.

⚠ Not for navigation

Spot an error? Send a correction

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
45.40668, -84.89181
MI DNR lake ID
L11770
Vertical exaggeration
12.0× below the waterline; land at true scale
Basemap
USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size
2.2 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21
45 / 100ModestData confidence: High

Round Lake has a mixed natural and developed setting, moderate open-water exposure, substantial nearby higher-volume roads. No special watercraft restriction is identified in the current source.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

ComponentRatingPoints of weightMeasurement
Natural settingMixed10.1 of 3048% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (5% forest, 42% wetland; 35% developed)
Geometric wind exposureGood13.2 of 25mean fetch 1,255 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · moderate open-water fetch
Watercraft controlsNone identified7.5 of 15No special watercraft restriction identified in the current DNR source. Motors permitted, subject to general law.
Public accessGood12.8 of 151 site with DNR boating-facility records · 1 ramp lane · 4 trailer spaces
Road isolationModest1.7 of 15substantial nearby higher-volume roads · 36 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 15,659 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
Moderate — 5% forest and 42% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
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 Boating Access Sites (2026-08), MI DNR Watercraft Control Areas (2026-08), USGS/MRLC NLCD Land Cover (2021), MDOT Annual Average Daily Traffic (2025) and MI DNR bathymetric survey outline (0 ft isobath). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from angler catches, DNR surveys & active stocking

6 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colours, not photographs (provenance).

Bowfin
Walleyestocked
Largemouth Bass
Smallmouth Bass
Hybrid Sunfish
Pumpkinseed

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.

BowfinOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no possession limit (2026 DNR digest · all other species)
Hybrid SunfishOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).
Beta. This panel is newly published. Every value is parsed from the Michigan DNR fisheries orders and hand-checked against the printed digest, but the coverage and wording are still under review. If anything here disagrees with the Michigan DNR's Fisheries Orders or its printed digest, the DNR is right — the signed Fisheries Order is the legal text; the digest summarises it.
BowfinOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no possession limit (2026 DNR digest · all other species)
Hybrid SunfishOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).
Largemouth BassOpen to harvestMinimum size: 14" · Daily limit: 5 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 5 is in any combination of Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, not 5 of each (FO-215.23A).
PumpkinseedOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).
Smallmouth BassOpen to harvestMinimum size: 14" · Daily limit: 5 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 5 is in any combination of Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, not 5 of each (FO-215.23A).
WalleyeOpen to harvestMinimum size: 15" · Daily limit: 5 (FO-215 · statewide inland)

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

Compiled from registered Master Angler catches, Michigan DNR fishery surveys and 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.

Notable catches

Master Angler program · 2002–2025

Trophy-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.

8Catches recorded
5Species
Pumpkinseed3 recorded · to 10″ · latest 2025
Smallmouth Bass2 recorded · to 21.5″ · latest 2008
Bowfin1 recorded · to 27.2″ · latest 2020
Hybrid Sunfish1 recorded · to 11.2″ · latest 2023
Largemouth Bass1 recorded · to 23.2″ · latest 2016

Biggest on record

Bowfin27.2″ · 2020
Largemouth Bass23.2″ · 2016 · ice fishing · chub
Smallmouth Bass21.5″ · 2008 · spincasting · worm
Smallmouth Bass21.5″ · 2002 · trolling
Hybrid Sunfish11.2″ · 2023 · spincasting · live bait

Bait: live bait (3) · artificial lure (1) · chub (1)
Method: spincasting (4) · still fishing (1) · ice fishing (1)

Master Angler entries are fish that met the program’s minimum size and were registered by the angler — they show what this lake has produced, not what a day here will produce. A catch on record is history, not a species listing: “Fish you might catch” lists only species with current evidence. Source: Michigan DNR Master Angler data.

DNR stocking

state stocking record · 1991–2018

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

Walleye86,026 stocked · 1991–2018 · 6 plantings

Non-native species records

No non-native species recorded in the available dataset. This does not confirm that no non-native species are present.

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 distance
⛻ Campground≈0.2 mi · 4 mapped
🚿 Restrooms / vault toilet≈0.3 mi · 4 mapped
🎢 Playground≈0.3 mi
🥾 Hiking trailhead≈0.4 mi
🥪 Picnic area≈0.5 mi
From OpenStreetMap community mapping — shown only where something is mapped; an amenity missing here may still exist. Distances are straight-line. Verify before you rely on it. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).

Bait & tackle nearby

licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distance
Cedar Swamp Sporting Goods II≈0.9 mi2429 N US 31 Hwy, Petoskey · Google · Apple
Young's Bait & Party Store≈5.7 mi7399 Burr Ave, Alanson · Google · Apple
The Party Shoppe≈6.1 mi · (231) 487-07341154 N Ellsworth Rd, Petoskey · 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

Round Lake — common questions

How deep is Round Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Round Lake is 12 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 Round Lake?

Round Lake covers about 364 acres in Emmet County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Round Lake?

The estimated mean depth of Round Lake is 5 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

What fish are in Round Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, bowfin, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed. The page shows the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Round Lake?

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