Spider Lake

Grand Traverse County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey

35ft Max
depth

458 acres 7 contours Public access

Paddling Index55Mixedslow-no-wake zones · sheltered geometry

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Depth scale

05101520253035

The lake

Survey readout

Spider Lake is mapped to a depth of 35 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 458 acres in Grand Traverse County, Michigan.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 35 ft
Mean depth: 9.6 ft · estimated
Surface area: 458 acres
Estimated volume: 4,383 acre-ft · 1,428M gal
Shoreline: 10.74 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 11% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Boat Launch

Additional depth details7 contours

Contour depths: 0–35 ft
Recorded point soundings: 35 ft

59.1% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 12.9% is deeper than 20 ft; the survey shows 4 distinct basins. Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.

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Location

Grand Traverse County, Michigan · 15 nearest of 37 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

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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: 44.67785, -85.49286
MI DNR lake ID: L16148
Vertical exaggeration: 2.49×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.6 MB

Watercraft rules

county-enforced local controls · MI DNR

Restricted hourswhole lake, as mapped

Slow — no wakedesignated zones

Official rule details2 rules

Restricted hours“Evening and night operations”

Slow — no wake“Slow--no wake speed”

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

55 / 100MixedData confidence: High

Spider Lake has a mixed natural and developed setting, generally sheltered geometry, substantial nearby higher-volume roads. Watercraft controls: Slow-no-wake zones.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

Component	Rating	Points of weight	Measurement
Natural setting	Mixed	11.8 of 30	52% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (46% forest, 5% wetland; 36% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Very Good	17.4 of 25	mean fetch 882 m · 23% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · generally short fetch
Watercraft controls	Slow-no-wake zones	10.2 of 15	Restricted hours; Slow — no wake — designated zones only
Public access	Good	12.8 of 15	1 site with DNR boating-facility records · 2 ramp lanes · 11 trailer spaces
Road isolation	Modest	3.0 of 15	substantial nearby higher-volume roads · 32 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 5,536 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 11% 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 — 46% forest and 5% 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 & active stocking

7 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

Largemouth Bass

Crappie

Bluegill

Hybrid Sunfish

Pumpkinseed

Green Sunfish

Fishing rules for this lake Beta

Size and daily limits for the 7 species found here — 6 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.

Largemouth BassSpecial rulesNamed in a fisheries order for this lake — see the rule text below

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.

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).

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 BassSpecial rulesNamed in a fisheries order for this lake — see the rule text below

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).

Official rule text for this lake

“the minimum size limit for Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass is 10-inches.” — 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

Compiled from registered Master Angler catches 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 · 1998–2025

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.

34Catches recorded

7Species

Bluegill15 recorded · to 12.5″

Pumpkinseed10 recorded · to 11″

Crappie4 recorded · to 15.5″

Hybrid Sunfish2 recorded · to 10.8″

Catch details by species7 species

Bluegill15 recorded · to 12.5″ · latest 2025

Pumpkinseed10 recorded · to 11″ · latest 2025

Crappie4 recorded · to 15.5″ · latest 2025

Hybrid Sunfish2 recorded · to 10.8″ · latest 2025

Green Sunfish1 recorded · to 10.5″ · latest 1998

Largemouth Bass1 recorded · to 24.5″ · latest 2005

Northern Pike1 recorded · to 40.2″ · latest 2015

Biggest on record

Northern Pike40.2″ · 2015 · ice fishing

Largemouth Bass24.5″ · 2005 · still fishing · bluegill

Crappie15.5″ · 2010 · spincasting

Crappie14.5″ · 2015 · spincasting

Crappie14.2″ · 2025 · ice fishing · artificial lure

Bait: live bait (8) · artificial lure (3) · worm (3)
Method: spincasting (19) · still fishing (7) · ice fishing (5)

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 · 2002–2005

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

Northern pike1,400 stocked · 2002–2005 · 2 plantings

No stockings recorded since 2005 — shown as history.

Source: Michigan DNR Fish Stocking Database.

Non-native species records

2 records

Mussels & snails

Zebra Mussel

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.

At the lake

community-mapped amenities · straight-line distance

⛻ Campground≈0.9 mi · 2 mapped

🚿 Restrooms / vault toilet≈0.1 mi

🏖 Beach / swim 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

TC Bait Tackle & More≈7.2 mi · (231) 252-3088809 S Garfield Ave, Traverse City · Google · Apple

Sportsman's Warehouse≈8.5 mi3500 Marketplace Circle Suite B, Traverse City · Google · Apple

Stoberlin LLC≈10.1 mi · (231) 879-3341228 E State, Fife Lake · 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

Spider Lake — common questions

How deep is Spider Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Spider Lake is 35 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 Spider Lake?

Spider Lake covers about 458 acres in Grand Traverse County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Spider Lake?

The estimated mean depth of Spider Lake is 9.6 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

What fish are in Spider Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish. The page lists all 7 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Spider Lake?

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