Walsh Lake

Washtenaw County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey

21ft Max
depth

8.8 acres 6 contours Public access

Paddling Index87Very Goodaway from major roads · sheltered geometry · wooded shoreline

Get directions

Depth scale

02510152021

The lake

Survey readout

Walsh Lake is mapped to a depth of 21 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 8.8 acres in Washtenaw County, Michigan.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey (depths read from the survey's isobath field; this lake's summary-depth column is blank in the source).

Deepest sounding: 21 ft
Mean depth: 11.1 ft · estimated
Surface area: 8.8 acres
Estimated volume: 98 acre-ft · 32M gal
Shoreline: 0.47 mi · round
Aquatic vegetation: 6% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Boat Launch · Rec Passport
In: Waterloo Recreation Area · Michigan DNR

Additional depth details6 contours

Contour depths: 0–21 ft
Recorded point soundings: 21 ft

38.8% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 8.8% is deeper than 20 ft. Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.

Compare with another lake

Location

Washtenaw County, Michigan · 15 nearest of 47 lakes · 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: 42.33765, -84.07988
MI DNR lake ID: L9543
Vertical exaggeration: 2.97× below the waterline; land at true scale
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 0.4 MB

Lake productivity & trophic state

No trophic-state classification is available for this lake in the source dataset.

Source: Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership Conservation Planner.

Paddling

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

87 / 100Very GoodData confidence: High

Walsh Lake has a heavily wooded and largely undeveloped setting, well 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	30.0 of 30	98% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (23% forest, 75% wetland; 0% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Excellent	25.0 of 25	mean fetch 182 m · 100% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · short fetch in most directions
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 · 1 trailer space
Road isolation	Excellent	12.2 of 15	relatively isolated from major roads · 5 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 1,244 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: Moderate — narrow in places — wakes would carry across parts 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: High — 23% forest and 75% 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), MI DNR Boating Access Sites (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.

Bait & tackle nearby

licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distance

Lightning Quick Gas N Go #26≈4.4 mi4400 Clear Lake Rd, Grass Lake · Google · Apple

Mike and Tina's Party Store≈7.2 mi · (517) 985-604413100 Territorial Rd, Stockbridge · Google · Apple

Tab's Custom Cuts≈7.4 mi14500 Holmes Rd, Gregory · 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

Walsh Lake — common questions

How deep is Walsh Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Walsh Lake is 21 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 Walsh Lake?

Walsh Lake covers about 8.8 acres in Washtenaw County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Walsh Lake?

The estimated mean depth of Walsh Lake is 11.1 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

Is there public access to Walsh Lake?

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