Sandstrom Lake

Delta County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey

— Max
depth

136 acres 0 contours 32% weedy

Paddling Index81Very GoodMedium confidenceaway from major roads · wooded shoreline · sheltered geometry

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Depth scale

The lake

Survey readout

Sandstrom Lake covers about 136 acres in Delta County, Michigan. The Michigan DNR survey for this lake records a shoreline outline only, with no usable depth soundings, so a maximum depth cannot be stated.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.

Bathymetric depth unavailable. The source survey does not contain sufficient usable depth information to calculate lake depth for Sandstrom Lake — the Michigan DNR record carries a shoreline outline without depth soundings. Surface area, location, access and fishery information below are unaffected.

Depth: Bathymetric depth unavailable
Surface area: 136 acres
Shoreline: 2.1 mi · lobed
Aquatic vegetation: 32% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: No public DNR launch identified

Additional depth details

Contour depths: shoreline only
Recorded point soundings: No point soundings recorded in source

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Location

Delta County, Michigan · 15 nearest of 50 lakes and 2 bays · 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. Colour shows surveyed depth; dark lines are the survey's own isobaths.

Coordinates: 45.73092, -86.93704
MI DNR lake ID: L39228
Vertical exaggeration: 3.0×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.2 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21

81 / 100Very GoodData confidence: Medium

Sandstrom Lake has a heavily wooded and largely undeveloped setting, generally sheltered geometry, little 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	Excellent	35.3 of 35	96% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (1% forest, 92% wetland; 4% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Very Good	20.0 of 29	mean fetch 870 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · generally short 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	Excellent	16.8 of 18	relatively isolated from major roads · 4 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 58 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: Moderate — approximately 32% 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 — 1% forest and 92% 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 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.

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.

Bait & tackle nearby

licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distance

The Store≈6.9 mi · (715) 345-5060901 S Lincoln Rd, Escanaba · Google · Apple

Bay View Bait & Tackle≈7.9 mi7110 US 2 41 & M-35, Gladstone · Google · Apple

Bayshore Resort Bait & Tackle≈10 mi · (906) 428-96871323 N Lake Shore Dr, Gladstone · 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

Sandstrom Lake — common questions

How deep is Sandstrom Lake?

The Michigan DNR survey for Sandstrom Lake contains no usable depth measurements, so a maximum depth cannot be stated.

How big is Sandstrom Lake?

Sandstrom Lake covers about 136 acres in Delta County, Michigan.

Is there public access to Sandstrom Lake?

No public launch for Sandstrom 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.

More lakes in Delta County