Van Etten Lake
depth
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Depth scale
Survey readout
Van Etten Lake is mapped to a depth of 30 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 1,483 acres in Iosco County, Michigan.
Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.
- Deepest mapped contour
- 30 ft
- Mean depth
- 13.1 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 1,483 acres
- Estimated volume
- 19,467 acre-ft · 6,343M gal
- Shoreline
- 9.78 mi · irregular
- Aquatic vegetation
- 6% 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: Cedar Lake. Their launches are not marked on the model — only Van Etten Lake’s own are.
34.6% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 38.5% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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
- 44.47289, -83.36190
- MI DNR lake ID
- L12593
- Vertical exaggeration
- 2.66×
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.5 MB
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21Van Etten Lake has a substantially developed setting, long open-water fetch, substantial nearby higher-volume 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 | Modest | 4.7 of 30 | 39% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (30% forest, 6% wetland; 48% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Modest | 2.5 of 25 | mean fetch 3,556 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · long 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 · 1 ramp lane · 6 trailer spaces |
| Road isolation | Modest | 0.8 of 15 | substantial nearby higher-volume roads · 255 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 9,454 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 6% 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 — 30% forest and 6% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →
Fish you might catch
from angler catches, DNR surveys & active stocking29 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colours, not photographs (provenance).
Flathead Catfish
Northern Pike
Common Carp
Bowfin
Channel Catfish
Walleye
Rainbow Trout
Redhorse Sucker
Freshwater Drum
Largemouth Bass
White Sucker
Smallmouth Bass
White Bass
Brown BullheadBullhead
Black CrappieCrappie
Yellow Bullhead
Redear Sunfish
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Rock Bass
Hybrid Sunfish
Pumpkinseed
Green Sunfish
Golden Shiner
Logperch
Bluntnose Minnow
Spottail ShinerHistorically stocked, no recent evidence: Chinook Salmon (last planted 1999), Tiger Muskellunge (last planted 1989) — not shown above.
Fishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 29 species found here — 28 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.
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 · 1995–2025Trophy-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 species20 species
Biggest on record
Bait: live bait (50) · artificial lure (24) · crawler (22)
Method: still fishing (94) · spincasting (31) · ice fishing (31) · trolling (28)
Fishery
surveyed 2018 · DNR SFR 2020-284Gamefish Smallmouth Bass 60 · Channel Catfish 54 · Walleye 50 · Largemouth Bass 13
Panfish Black Crappie 629 · Yellow Perch 448 · Rock Bass 31
All survey species22 species
Gamefish
Panfish
Bullhead & catfish
Forage & nongame
DNR stocking
state stocking record · 1979–2022Fish the Michigan DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.
Complete stocking history3 older species
Non-native species records
2 recordsMussels & snails
- Zebra Mussel
Fish
- Flathead Catfish
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 distanceBait & tackle nearby
licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distanceVan Etten Lake — common questions
How deep is Van Etten Lake?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Van Etten 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 Van Etten Lake?
Van Etten Lake covers about 1,483 acres in Iosco County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Van Etten Lake?
The estimated mean depth of Van Etten Lake is 13.1 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
What fish are in Van Etten Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include channel catfish, flathead catfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass. The page lists all 29 species and the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Van Etten Lake?
Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 1 public access site on Van Etten Lake, including Van Etten Lake SFCG.
