Shoe Lake

Oakland County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey

23ft Max
depth

5.2 acres 8 contours Public access

Paddling Index84Very Goodsheltered geometry · wooded shoreline · carry-in access

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Depth scale

04561015182023

The lake

Survey readout

Shoe Lake is mapped to a depth of 23 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 5.2 acres in Oakland County, Michigan.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.

Deepest sounding: 23 ft
Mean depth: 12.5 ft · estimated
Surface area: 5.2 acres
Estimated volume: 65 acre-ft · 21M gal
Shoreline: 0.42 mi · lobed
Aquatic vegetation: 20% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Boat Launch · Rec Passport
In: Bald Mountain Recreation Area · 4,519 ac

Additional depth details8 contours

Contour depths: 0–23 ft
Recorded point soundings: 23 ft, 18 ft, 6 ft

36.4% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 20.2% is deeper than 20 ft; the survey shows 2 distinct basins. Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.

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Location

Oakland County, Michigan · 15 nearest of 116 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: 42.78674, -83.19894
MI DNR lake ID: L4389
Vertical exaggeration: 2.9×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 0.4 MB

Paddling

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

84 / 100Very GoodData confidence: High

Shoe Lake has a heavily wooded and largely undeveloped setting, well sheltered geometry, some nearby classified roads. 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	27.1 of 30	88% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (27% forest, 61% wetland; 11% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Excellent	25.0 of 25	mean fetch 172 m · 100% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · short fetch in most directions
Watercraft controls	None identified	7.5 of 15	No special watercraft restriction identified in the current DNR source. Motors permitted, subject to general law.
Public access	Excellent	15.0 of 15	2 sites with DNR boating-facility records · carry-in launch · 2 trailer spaces
Road isolation	Good	9.3 of 15	some nearby classified roads · 5 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 3,491 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: High — narrow throughout — passing wakes would reach most of the water
Aquatic vegetation: Moderate — approximately 20% 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 — 27% forest and 61% 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.

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

🚿 Restrooms / vault toilet≈0.3 mi · 2 mapped

🥾 Hiking trailhead≈1.4 mi · 2 mapped

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

NY Petroleum≈2.1 mi415 S Broadway St, Lake Orion · Google · Apple

Jay's Big Bass Outdoors Inc≈11.5 mi4250 Dixie Hwy, Waterford · Google · Apple

The Bait Shop LLC≈13 mi2574 AirPort Rd, Waterford · 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

Shoe Lake — common questions

How deep is Shoe Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Shoe Lake is 23 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 Shoe Lake?

Shoe Lake covers about 5.2 acres in Oakland County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Shoe Lake?

The estimated mean depth of Shoe Lake is 12.5 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

Is there public access to Shoe Lake?

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