Shag Lake
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Survey readout
Shag Lake is mapped to a depth of 30 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 193 acres in Marquette County, Michigan.
Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.
- Deepest mapped contour
- 30 ft
- Mean depth
- 14.5 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 193 acres
- Estimated volume
- 2,795 acre-ft · 911M gal
- Shoreline
- 4.9 mi · irregular
- Aquatic vegetation
- 3% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- Boat Launch
Additional depth details6 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–30 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 30 ft
Other waters with a public launch on this map: Little Shag Lake. Their launches are not marked on the model — only Shag Lake’s own are.
37.1% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 38.1% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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
- 46.26722, -87.50591
- MI DNR lake ID
- L44891
- Vertical exaggeration
- 2.66×
- 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 2026-08-21Shag Lake has a partly natural setting, generally sheltered geometry, limited nearby major-road exposure. Watercraft controls: Restricted hours.
Why this score?5 components
Included in the index
| Component | Rating | Points of weight | Measurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural setting | Good | 17.6 of 30 | 66% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (48% forest, 17% wetland; 24% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Very Good | 19.5 of 25 | mean fetch 728 m · 26% 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 | 2 sites with DNR boating-facility records · 2 ramp lanes · 18 trailer spaces |
| Road isolation | Very Good | 11.7 of 15 | limited nearby major-road exposure · 8 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 675 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 3% 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 — 48% forest and 17% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →
Fish you might catch
from angler catches4 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
Smallmouth Bass
Bluegill
PumpkinseedFishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 4 species found here — 3 open to harvest, 1 with a special rule or closed season.
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
Notable catches
Master Angler program · 1998–2025Trophy-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.
Biggest on record
Bait: live bait (4) · crawler (3) · worm (3)
Method: spincasting (8) · ice fishing (4) · still fishing (3) · drift fishing (2)
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 distanceShag Lake — common questions
How deep is Shag Lake?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Shag 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 Shag Lake?
Shag Lake covers about 193 acres in Marquette County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Shag Lake?
The estimated mean depth of Shag Lake is 14.5 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
What fish are in Shag Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include northern pike, smallmouth bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed. The page shows the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Shag Lake?
Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 1 public access site on Shag Lake, including Big Shag Lake.
