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West Twin Lake

Montmorency County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey
28ft Max
depth
1,302 acres 10 contours Public access
Paddling Index44Modest
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Depth scale

The lake

Survey readout

West Twin Lake is mapped to a depth of 28 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 1,302 acres in Montmorency County, Michigan.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.

Deepest sounding
28 ft
Mean depth
7.8 ft · estimated
Surface area
1,302 acres
Estimated volume
10,209 acre-ft · 3,327M gal
Shoreline
6.61 mi · lobed
Aquatic vegetation
2% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access
Boat Launch
Additional depth details10 contours
Contour depths
0–28 ft
Recorded point soundings
28 ft, 19 ft, 17 ft, 12 ft, 11 ft

62.1% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.

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Chart data

Provenance

Sources: MI DNR inland lake contours, USGS 3DEP, USDA NAIP (public domain), OpenStreetMap (ODbL), MI DNR Boat Launches.

⚠ Not for navigation

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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
44.87620, -84.34613
MI DNR lake ID
L6023
Vertical exaggeration
2.73×
Basemap
USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size
2.3 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21
44 / 100ModestData confidence: High

West Twin Lake has a partly natural setting, notable open-water exposure, substantial nearby higher-volume roads. No special watercraft restriction is identified in the current source.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

ComponentRatingPoints of weightMeasurement
Natural settingGood13.9 of 3056% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (40% forest, 14% wetland; 25% developed)
Geometric wind exposureMixed7.0 of 25mean fetch 2,289 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · long fetch in some directions
Watercraft controlsNone identified7.5 of 15No special watercraft restriction identified in the current DNR source. Motors permitted, subject to general law.
Public accessGood12.8 of 151 site with DNR boating-facility records · 1 ramp lane · 8 trailer spaces
Road isolationModest3.2 of 15substantial nearby higher-volume roads · 59 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 6,097 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 2% 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 14% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
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 Boating Access Sites (2026-08), MI DNR Watercraft Control Areas (2026-08), USGS/MRLC NLCD Land Cover (2021), MDOT Annual Average Daily Traffic (2025) and MI DNR bathymetric survey outline (0 ft isobath). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from angler catches, DNR surveys & active stocking

10 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
Walleyestocked
Largemouth Bass
Smallmouth Bass
Bullhead
Crappie
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Rock Bass
Pumpkinseed

Historically stocked, no recent evidence: Tiger Muskellunge (last planted 1990) — not shown above.

Fishing rules for this lake Beta

Size and daily limits for the 10 species found here — 10 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.

BluegillOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).
BullheadOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no possession limit (2026 DNR digest · all other species)
Beta. This panel is newly published. Every value is parsed from the Michigan DNR fisheries orders and hand-checked against the printed digest, but the coverage and wording are still under review. If anything here disagrees with the Michigan DNR's Fisheries Orders or its printed digest, the DNR is right — the signed Fisheries Order is the legal text; the digest summarises it.
BluegillOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).
BullheadOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no possession limit (2026 DNR digest · all other species)
CrappieOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).
Largemouth BassOpen to harvestMinimum size: 14" · Daily limit: 5 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 5 is in any combination of Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, not 5 of each (FO-215.23A).
MuskellungeOpen to harvestMinimum size: 42" · Limit: 1 per angler per year (FO-215 · statewide inland) Not a daily limit: one Muskellunge per angler per license year (April 1 – March 31), and harvest must be registered within 24 hours at Michigan.gov/RegisterFish. Catch-and-immediate-release is open all year (FO-215.23A Note 3).
PumpkinseedOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).
Rock BassOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 25 is in any combination of the sunfishes — Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black and White Crappie, Rock Bass, Green, Longear and Redear Sunfish, Warmouth and hybrids — not 25 of each (FO-215.23A).
Smallmouth BassOpen to harvestMinimum size: 14" · Daily limit: 5 (FO-215 · statewide inland) The 5 is in any combination of Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, not 5 of each (FO-215.23A).
WalleyeOpen to harvestMinimum size: 15" · Daily limit: 5 (FO-215 · statewide inland)
Yellow PerchOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (FO-215 · statewide inland)

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

Compiled from registered Master Angler catches, Michigan DNR fishery surveys and Michigan DNR stockings within the last 10 years. Silhouettes are stylized and scaled to typical adult sizes relative to one another. Presence is not a promise — fishing isn’t a sure thing.

Notable catches

Master Angler program · 1996–2025

Trophy-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.

48Catches recorded
9Species
Bluegill22 recorded · to 11.2″
Smallmouth Bass8 recorded · to 22″
Pumpkinseed6 recorded · to 11.8″
Yellow Perch4 recorded · to 14.5″
Catch details by species9 species
Bluegill22 recorded · to 11.2″ · latest 2025
Smallmouth Bass8 recorded · to 22″ · latest 2023
Pumpkinseed6 recorded · to 11.8″ · latest 2024
Yellow Perch4 recorded · to 14.5″ · latest 2024
Crappie3 recorded · to 16.5″ · latest 2010
Bullhead2 recorded · to 14.8″ · latest 2003
Largemouth Bass1 recorded · to 23.2″ · latest 1999
Muskellunge1 recorded · to 45″ · latest 2005
Rock Bass1 recorded · to 11.5″ · latest 2018

Biggest on record

Muskellunge45″ · 2005 · drift fishing
Largemouth Bass23.2″ · 1999 · trolling
Smallmouth Bass22″ · 2006 · still fishing · minnow
Smallmouth Bass21.8″ · 2007 · trolling
Smallmouth Bass21.2″ · 2022 · spincasting · artificial lure

Bait: live bait (12) · artificial lure (9) · minnow (5)
Method: still fishing (22) · spincasting (16) · trolling (4) · ice fishing (4)

Master Angler entries are fish that met the program’s minimum size and were registered by the angler — they show what this lake has produced, not what a day here will produce. A catch on record is history, not a species listing: “Fish you might catch” lists only species with current evidence. Source: Michigan DNR Master Angler data.

DNR stocking

state stocking record · 1980–2026

Fish the Michigan DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.

Walleye1,242,850 stocked · 1998–2026 · 24 plantings
Tiger muskellunge20,527 stocked · 1980–1990 · 6 plantings

Non-native species records

3 records

Mussels & snails

  • Banded Mysterysnail

Plants & algae

  • Eurasian Watermilfoil
  • Purple Loosestrife
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.

Bait & tackle nearby

licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distance
Gill-Roy's Hardware≈2.1 mi4421 Hanson Ave, Lewiston · Google · Apple
E & D Log Homes≈6.6 mi · (989) 390-18441026 E Hwy M-32, Johannesburg · Google · Apple
Dreffs Bait Shop≈12.8 mi5904 E M-32, Gaylord · 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

West Twin Lake — common questions

How deep is West Twin Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of West Twin Lake is 28 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 West Twin Lake?

West Twin Lake covers about 1,302 acres in Montmorency County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of West Twin Lake?

The estimated mean depth of West Twin Lake is 7.8 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

What fish are in West Twin Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, muskellunge, smallmouth bass, walleye, bluegill, bullhead. The page lists all 10 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to West Twin Lake?

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