Thunder Bay
depth
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Depth scale
Survey readout
Thunder Bay is mapped to a depth of 107 ft on the NOAA NCEI survey and covers about 64,283 acres in Alpena County, Michigan. Coverage is sparse: about 74% of this lake lies well away from any surveyed contour, so most of the shape shown there is interpolated between distant measurements rather than mapped.
Derived from NOAA NCEI Great Lakes bathymetry data.
The maximum depth and the “deepest” marker describe Thunder Bay itself. The map also renders the surrounding open-lake water inside the frame. Depths in that water reach about 424 ft.
- Deepest mapped contour
- 107 ft
- Surface area
- 64,283 acres
- Aquatic vegetation
- 0% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- Boat Launch
Additional depth details10 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–107 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 107 ft
Other waters with a public launch on this map: Devils River, Thunder Bay River, Lake Besser, Long Lake, Lake Winyah, Lower South Branch Thu and 2 more. Their launches are not marked on the model — only Thunder Bay’s own are.
Compare with another lakeProvenance
Sources: NOAA NCEI Great Lakes Bathymetry, USGS 3DEP, USDA NAIP (public domain), OpenStreetMap (ODbL), MI DNR Boat Launches.
⚠ NOT FOR NAVIGATION. This is a recreational depth visualisation built from historical soundings, not a nautical chart. Use official NOAA charts (ENC/RNC) for navigation. Depths are referenced to low water datum and actual water levels vary.Spot an error? Send a correction
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
- 45.03500, -83.36500
- NOAA lake ID
- NOAA-GL-TBA
- Vertical exaggeration
- 8.0× below the waterline; land at true scale
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 1.9 MB
Fish you might catch
from angler catches14 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
Common Carp
Atlantic Salmon
Channel Catfish
Lake Trout
Walleye
Burbot
Pink Salmon
Brown Trout
Longnose Sucker
Freshwater Drum
Lake Whitefish
White Sucker
Smallmouth BassFishing 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.
From the 2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations digest (General Fishing Regulations table and notes) / FO-215.23A (eff. 2023-09-15) / FO-252.26 (eff. 2026-04-01) / FO-240.26 / FO-253.26 (eff. 2026-04-01, Great Lakes trout and salmon by management unit) · 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 · 2007–2025Trophy-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.
Catch details by species14 species
Biggest on record
Bait: artificial lure (17) · night crawler (5) · live bait (3)
Method: trolling (15) · spin casting (7) · still fishing (7)
Shipwrecks in Thunder Bay 37 recorded · none with a verified position
Positions are published by the Michigan Underwater Preserve Council. 0 of 37 here have been verified by the state; the rest are approximate and are marked as such.
35 of these wrecks have a 3D reconstruction of the ship afloat — tap a labelled marker on the map, or the 3D preview button below. Only wrecks with a reconstruction are marked on the map; the rest are listed below.
- B.W. BlanchardapproximateSteam Barge · lost 1904 · stranded · snorkel-accessible full reconstruction5 ft
- John T. JohnsonapproximateSchooner Barge · lost 1904 · stranded · snorkel-accessible full reconstruction5 ft
- Knight TemplarapproximateSchooner Barge · lost 1903 · abandoned · snorkel-accessible full reconstruction5 ft
- James H. HallapproximateSchooner, 2-Mast · lost 1916 · stranded · snorkel-accessible full reconstruction6 ft
- Light GuardapproximateSchooner · lost 1903 · abandoned · snorkel-accessible full reconstruction6 ft
- Maid of the MistapproximateSchooner, 2-Mast · lost 1878 · stranded · snorkel-accessible full reconstruction7 ft
- John F. WarnerapproximateSchooner, 2-Mast · lost 1890 · abandoned · snorkel-accessible full reconstruction9 ft
- Bay CityapproximateSchooner Barge, 2-Mast · lost 1902 · stranded · snorkel-accessible full reconstruction11 ft
- GalenaapproximatePropeller · lost 1872 · stranded · snorkel-accessible full reconstruction11 ft
- ShamrockapproximateSteam Barge · lost 1905 · abandoned · snorkel-accessible full reconstruction11 ft
- Empire StateapproximateBrigantine, 2-Mast · lost 1877 · stranded · snorkel-accessible full reconstruction12 ft
- William MaxwellapproximateTug · lost 1908 · stranded · snorkel-accessible full reconstruction12 ft
- New OrleansapproximatePaddle Wheeler · lost 1849 · stranded · snorkel-accessible full reconstruction13 ft
- Harvey BissellapproximateSchooner, 3-Mast · lost 1905 · abandoned · snorkel-accessible full reconstruction14 ft
- Benjamin FranklinapproximatePaddle Wheeler · lost 1850 · stranded · snorkel-accessible full reconstruction15 ft
- CongressapproximatePropeller · lost 1868 · stranded and burned · snorkel-accessible full reconstruction15 ft
- Scanlon's BargeapproximateWooden Barge or Dredge · snorkel-accessible15 ft
- E.B. PalmerapproximateSchooner, 3-Mast · lost 1892 · stranded · snorkel-accessible full reconstruction16 ft
- Haltiner's BargeapproximateDredge · lost 1927 · burned · snorkel-accessible full reconstruction17 ft
- William P. RendapproximateBulk Freighter · lost 1917 · stranded · snorkel-accessible full reconstruction17 ft
- MonohansettapproximateSteam Barge · lost 1907 · burned · snorkel-accessible full reconstruction18 ft
- Murray Company Dredge "Heart Failure"approximateDredge · lost 1906 · abandoned · snorkel-accessible18 ft
- OgaritaapproximateBarkentine, 3-Mast · lost 1905 · burned full reconstruction30 ft
- Oscar T. FlintapproximateSteam Barge · lost 1909 · burned full reconstruction32 ft
- Barge No. 012approximateBarge · lost 1975 · collision full reconstruction35 ft
- James DavidsonapproximateBulk Freighter · lost 1883 · stranded full reconstruction35 ft
- NordmeerapproximateOcean Vessel · lost 1966 · stranded full reconstruction35 ft
- William A. Young (TB)approximateSchooner Barge, 2-Mast · lost 1911 · foundered full reconstruction40 ft
- Barge #1approximateWooden Carferry Barge · lost 1918 · stranded full reconstruction42 ft
- D.M. WilsonapproximateBulk Freighter · lost 1894 · foundered full reconstruction48 ft
- Lucinda Van ValkenburgapproximateSchooner, 3-Mast · lost 1887 · collision full reconstruction60 ft
- O.E. ParksapproximateSteam Barge · lost 1929 · foundered full reconstruction62 ft
- MontanaapproximateSteam Barge · lost 1914 · burned full reconstruction66 ft
- William Peter ThewapproximateSteam Barge · lost 1909 · collision full reconstruction84 ft
- Steel barge aka Carbide BargeapproximateSteel Barge · foundered full reconstruction92 ft
- E.B. AllenapproximateSchooner, 2-Mast · lost 1871 · collision full reconstruction100 ft
- GrecianapproximateBulk Freighter · lost 1906 · foundered full reconstruction106 ft
Treat these as graves. Lives were lost on many Great Lakes wrecks, and human remains may still be present. Michigan’s bottomlands also hold submerged cultural sites that long predate these ships. Look, photograph, and leave everything exactly as you found it.
Removing or disturbing wreckage on Great Lakes bottomlands is a felony under Michigan Part 761, 1994 PA 451, at a fair market value of $100 or more. Positions are historical reference only — not navigation, and not dive-planning data. Wreck records are published by the Michigan Underwater Preserve Council, which publishes a guide to the Thunder Bay preserve.
Bait & tackle nearby
licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distanceThunder Bay — common questions
How deep is Thunder Bay?
The deepest contour on the NOAA NCEI bathymetric survey of Thunder Bay is 107 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 Thunder Bay?
Thunder Bay covers about 64,283 acres in Alpena County, Michigan.
What fish are in Thunder Bay?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include atlantic salmon, brown trout, burbot, channel catfish, lake trout, lake whitefish. The page lists all 14 species and the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Thunder Bay?
Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 3 public access sites on Thunder Bay, including Snug Harbor.
