Van Winkle Lake

Delta County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey

4ft Max
depth

74 acres 1 contour

Paddling Index86Very GoodMedium confidenceaway from major roads · wooded shoreline · sheltered geometry

Get directions

Depth scale

The lake

Survey readout

Van Winkle Lake is mapped to a depth of 4 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 74 acres in Delta County, Michigan.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 4 ft
Mean depth: 3.3 ft · estimated
Surface area: 74 acres
Estimated volume: 245 acre-ft · 80M gal
Shoreline: 1.66 mi · lobed
Aquatic vegetation: 16% of surface · NDVI estimate
Trophic state: Eutrophic · satellite estimate · details
Public access: No public DNR launch identified
In: Hiawatha National Forest · U.S. Forest Service

Additional depth details1 contour

Contour depths: 0–4 ft
Recorded point soundings: 4 ft

100% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft. Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.

Compare with another lake

Location

Delta County, Michigan · 15 nearest of 50 lakes and 2 bays · 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

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. Color shows surveyed depth; dark lines are the survey's own isobaths.

Coordinates: 46.05607, -86.56778
MI DNR lake ID: L40337
Vertical exaggeration: 12.0× below the waterline; land at true scale
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.4 MB

Lake productivity & trophic state

Satellite estimate

Satellite-estimated classification: Eutrophic. Higher nutrient levels and biological productivity, often with more algae or aquatic plant growth. Based on satellite estimates of summer chlorophyll-a (LAGOS-US LANDSAT, 2020). No lake-specific measurement is available in this dataset.

Trophic state describes how biologically productive a lake is, based on indicators such as nutrients, algae and water clarity. It is not a swimming-safety or overall water-quality rating.

What do the categories mean?

Oligotrophic≤ 2 µg/L · lower nutrient and algae levels, often clearer water and lower biological productivity.
Mesotrophic2–7 µg/L · moderate nutrient levels and biological productivity.
Eutrophic · this lake7–30 µg/L · higher nutrient levels and biological productivity, often with more algae or aquatic plant growth.
Hypereutrophic> 30 µg/L · very high nutrient levels and biological productivity, with a greater potential for heavy algae growth and low water clarity.

Bands are summer (June–August) mean chlorophyll-a, the green pigment in algae, at the EPA 2012 National Lakes Assessment thresholds. Trophic condition can change over time and by measurement method. Source: Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership Conservation Planner; satellite chlorophyll-a estimates from LAGOS-US LANDSAT.

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-23

86 / 100Very GoodData confidence: Medium

Van Winkle Lake has a heavily wooded and largely undeveloped setting, generally sheltered geometry, little nearby major-road exposure. 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	35.3 of 35	96% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (34% forest, 62% wetland; 2% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Very Good	23.8 of 29	mean fetch 646 m · 8% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · generally short fetch
Watercraft controls	None identified	8.8 of 18	No special watercraft restriction identified in the current DNR source. Motors permitted, subject to general law.
Public access	Not listed	—	No DNR-listed access site. Township, county and road-end launches are not in this source, so this is not evidence that access is poor — the component is excluded and the remaining weights are renormalized.
Road isolation	Excellent	17.6 of 18	relatively isolated from major roads · 10 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 255 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: Moderate — approximately 16% 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 — 34% forest and 62% 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 bathymetric survey outline (0 ft isobath), USGS/MRLC NLCD Land Cover (2021), MI DNR Watercraft Control Areas (2026-08) and MDOT Annual Average Daily Traffic (2025). 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

⛻ Campground≈0.7 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

Midway General Store≈8 mi · (906) 573-2450N251 Federal Forest Hwy 13, Wetmore · Google · Apple

Linda's Bread Box≈10.5 mi10N State Hwy 149, Cooks · 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

Van Winkle Lake — common questions

How deep is Van Winkle Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Van Winkle Lake is 4 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 Winkle Lake?

Van Winkle Lake covers about 74 acres in Delta County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Van Winkle Lake?

The estimated mean depth of Van Winkle Lake is 3.3 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

Is there public access to Van Winkle Lake?

No public launch for Van Winkle Lake appears in the Michigan DNR access data. That is not the same as the lake being private -- municipal and private ramps are not in that source.

More lakes in Delta County