Thousand Island Lake
depth
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Depth scale
Survey readout
Thousand Island Lake is mapped to a depth of 40 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 1,025 acres in Gogebic County, Michigan.
Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.
- Deepest mapped contour
- 40 ft
- Mean depth
- 12.1 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 1,025 acres
- Estimated volume
- 12,402 acre-ft · 4,041M gal
- Shoreline
- 9.89 mi · irregular
- Aquatic vegetation
- 10% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- Boat Launch
Additional depth details8 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–40 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 40 ft
Other waters with a public launch on this map: Cisco Lake. Their launches are not marked on the model — only Thousand Island Lake’s own are.
45.6% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 21.2% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.
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
- 46.23078, -89.40271
- MI DNR lake ID
- L43127
- Vertical exaggeration
- 2.32×
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.5 MB
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21Thousand Island Lake has a partly natural setting, moderate open-water exposure, 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 | Good | 16.8 of 30 | 62% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (40% forest, 21% wetland; 25% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Good | 8.3 of 25 | mean fetch 2,018 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · moderate open-water fetch |
| 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 | Good | 12.8 of 15 | 1 site with DNR boating-facility records · 2 ramp lanes · 5 trailer spaces |
| Road isolation | Good | 8.3 of 15 | some nearby classified roads · 16 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 166 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 10% 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 — 40% forest and 21% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →
Fish you might catch
from angler catches, DNR surveys & active stocking11 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colours, not photographs (provenance).
Muskellunge
Northern Pike
Walleye
Largemouth Bass
Smallmouth Bass
Cisco
Black Crappie
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Rock Bass
PumpkinseedHistorically stocked, no recent evidence: Lake Trout (last planted 1979) — not shown above.
Fishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 11 species found here — 10 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 · 1997–2025Trophy-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: artificial lure (4) · live bait (1) · worm (1)
Method: spincasting (7) · still fishing (4) · ice fishing (3) · drift fishing (2)
Fishery
Gamefish Walleye 23 · Northern Pike 10
Panfish Bluegill 525 · Rock Bass 258 · Yellow Perch 100
All survey species7 species
Gamefish
Panfish
DNR stocking
state stocking record · 1979–2026Fish the Michigan DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.
At the lake
community-mapped amenities · straight-line distanceBait & tackle nearby
licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distanceThousand Island Lake — common questions
How deep is Thousand Island Lake?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Thousand Island Lake is 40 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 Thousand Island Lake?
Thousand Island Lake covers about 1,025 acres in Gogebic County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Thousand Island Lake?
The estimated mean depth of Thousand Island Lake is 12.1 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
What fish are in Thousand Island Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, smallmouth bass, walleye, black crappie. The page lists all 11 species and the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Thousand Island Lake?
Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 1 public access site on Thousand Island Lake, including Thousand Island Lake.
