Selkirk Lake

Allegan County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey

30ft Max
depth

90 acres 5 contours Public access

Paddling Index61Mixedrestricted hours · sheltered geometry

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Depth scale

0510152030

The lake

Survey readout

Selkirk Lake is mapped to a depth of 30 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 90 acres in Allegan County, Michigan.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 30 ft
Mean depth: 11.2 ft · estimated
Surface area: 90 acres
Estimated volume: 1,000 acre-ft · 326M gal
Shoreline: 2.3 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 6% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Boat Launch

Additional depth details5 contours

Contour depths: 0–30 ft
Recorded point soundings: 30 ft

41.5% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 9.8% is deeper than 20 ft. Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.

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Location

Allegan County, Michigan · all 13 lakes · 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

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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: 42.61125, -85.62556
MI DNR lake ID: L17570
Vertical exaggeration: 2.66×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.2 MB

Watercraft rules

county-enforced local controls · MI DNR

Restricted hourswhole lake, as mapped

Official rule details1 rule

Restricted hours“Hours for high-speed boating and water skiing; obstructing channel”

Where the mapped control areas and the official regulation language differ, the language governs. Official county watercraft controls.

Paddling

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

61 / 100MixedData confidence: High

Selkirk Lake has a mixed natural and developed setting, well 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	Mixed	7.8 of 30	41% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (29% forest, 11% wetland; 36% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Excellent	23.7 of 25	mean fetch 511 m · 48% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · short fetch in most directions
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 · 6 trailer spaces
Road isolation	Good	7.6 of 15	some nearby classified roads · 15 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 3,534 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: Limited — 29% forest and 11% 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 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

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

Northern Pike

Bowfin

Walleye

Largemouth Bass

White Sucker

Black Crappie

Crappie

Yellow Bullhead

Yellow Perch

Bluegill

Hybrid Sunfish

Pumpkinseed

Green Sunfish

Golden Shiner

Fishing rules for this lake Beta

Size and daily limits for the 14 species found here — 14 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.

Black CrappieOpen 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).

BluegillOpen 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)

CrappieOpen 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).

Golden ShinerOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no possession limit (2026 DNR digest · all other species)

Green 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).

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).

Northern PikeOpen to harvestMinimum size: 24" · Daily limit: 2 (FO-215 · statewide inland)

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).

WalleyeOpen to harvestMinimum size: 15" · Daily limit: 5 (FO-215 · statewide inland)

White SuckerOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no possession limit (2026 DNR digest · all other species)

Yellow BullheadOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no possession limit (2026 DNR digest · all other species)

Yellow PerchOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (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 · 2001–2023

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.

11Catches recorded

4Species

Largemouth Bass4 recorded · to 24″ · latest 2015

Bluegill3 recorded · to 10.5″ · latest 2023

Crappie3 recorded · to 15.2″ · latest 2023

Bowfin1 recorded · to 29″ · latest 2015

Biggest on record

Bowfin29″ · 2015 · spincasting

Largemouth Bass24″ · 2010 · still fishing · night crawler

Largemouth Bass23″ · 2012 · spincasting

Largemouth Bass22.4″ · 2015 · spincasting

Largemouth Bass22″ · 2015 · spincasting

Bait: artificial lure (2) · live bait (1) · wax worm (1)
Method: spincasting (8) · ice fishing (2) · still 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.

Fishery

2,912Fish sampled

13Species

Gamefish Largemouth Bass 170 · Walleye 92 · Northern Pike 18 · Bowfin 7

Panfish Bluegill 1,565 · Yellow Perch 650 · Black Crappie 243

All survey species13 species

Gamefish

Largemouth Bass170 caught

Walleye92 caught

Northern Pike18 caught

Bowfin7 caught

Panfish

Bluegill1,565 caught

Yellow Perch650 caught

Black Crappie243 caught

Pumpkinseed21 caught

Hybrid Sunfish6 caught

Green Sunfish1 caught

Bullhead & catfish

Yellow Bullhead130 caught

Forage & nongame

Golden Shiner8 caught

White Sucker1 caught

Stocking: The DNR stocked several species from 1894 through 1945 including Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, Yellow Perch, and Smallmouth Bass (Table 1).

This survey reported catch counts without lengths. Source: Michigan DNR Status of the Fishery Resource report (counts summed across survey years).

DNR stocking

state stocking record · 1990–2026

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

Walleye54,525 stocked · 1990–2026 · 21 plantings

Source: Michigan DNR Fish Stocking Database.

Non-native species records

1 record

Other invertebrates

Freshwater Jellyfish

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.

Bait & tackle nearby

licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distance

Wayland Hardware and Point≈4.4 mi415 Reno Dr, Wayland · Google · Apple

Gillett's Bait & Hardware≈5.1 mi · (269) 672-537112258 Marsh Rd, Shelbyville · Google · Apple

Yankee Springs Marathon≈6 mi · (269) 795-780611300 W M-179 Hwy, Middleville · 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

Selkirk Lake — common questions

How deep is Selkirk Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Selkirk Lake is 30 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 Selkirk Lake?

Selkirk Lake covers about 90 acres in Allegan County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Selkirk Lake?

The estimated mean depth of Selkirk Lake is 11.2 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

What fish are in Selkirk Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin. The page lists all 14 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Selkirk Lake?

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