Williams Lake

Oakland County, Michigan · MI DNR bathymetric survey

45ft Max
depth

171 acres 8 contours Public access

Paddling Index40Modestsheltered geometry

Get directions

Depth scale

0510152025304045

The lake

Survey readout

Williams Lake is mapped to a depth of 45 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 171 acres in Oakland County, Michigan.

Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 45 ft
Mean depth: 12.9 ft · estimated
Surface area: 171 acres
Estimated volume: 2,212 acre-ft · 721M gal
Shoreline: 3.92 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 5% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Boat Launch · Rec Passport

Additional depth details8 contours

Contour depths: 0–45 ft
Recorded point soundings: 45 ft

Other waters with a public launch on this map: Maceday Lake. Their launches are not marked on the model — only Williams Lake’s own are.

48.7% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 27.1% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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

Oakland County, Michigan · 15 nearest of 116 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. Colour shows surveyed depth; dark lines are the survey's own isobaths.

Coordinates: 42.67495, -83.42374
MI DNR lake ID: L914
Vertical exaggeration: 2.15×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.4 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21

40 / 100ModestData confidence: High

Williams Lake has a substantially developed setting, generally sheltered geometry, 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	0.6 of 30	4% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (1% forest, 3% wetland; 90% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Very Good	18.8 of 25	mean fetch 736 m · 3% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · generally short 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 · 2 ramp lanes · 15 trailer spaces
Road isolation	Modest	0.8 of 15	substantial nearby higher-volume roads · 136 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 31,133 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 5% 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 — 1% forest and 3% 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 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.

Non-native species records

1 record

Plants & algae

Starry Stonewort

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 distance

🎢 Playground≈0.4 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

The Bait Shop LLC≈0.9 mi2574 AirPort Rd, Waterford · Google · Apple

Jay's Big Bass Outdoors Inc≈2.6 mi4250 Dixie Hwy, Waterford · Google · Apple

Lakeview Party Store & Pizza≈4.9 mi990 S Cass Lake Rd, Waterford · 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

Williams Lake — common questions

How deep is Williams Lake?

The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Williams Lake is 45 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 Williams Lake?

Williams Lake covers about 171 acres in Oakland County, Michigan.

What is the average depth of Williams Lake?

The estimated mean depth of Williams Lake is 12.9 ft, calculated from the survey contours.

Is there public access to Williams Lake?

No public launch for Williams 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 Oakland County