Wixom Lake
depth
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Depth scale
Survey readout
Wixom Lake is mapped to a depth of 40 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 1,166 acres in Gladwin 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 mapped contour
- 40 ft
- Mean depth
- 14.9 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 1,166 acres
- Estimated volume
- 17,312 acre-ft · 5,641M gal
- Shoreline
- 23.44 mi · irregular
- Aquatic vegetation
- 52% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- Boat Launch · Rec Passport
Additional depth details5 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–40 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 40 ft
39.4% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft; 33.3% 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 Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.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
- 43.83473, -84.34651
- MI DNR lake ID
- L8404
- Vertical exaggeration
- 2.32×
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.5 MB
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-08-21Wixom Lake has a substantially developed setting, moderate 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
| Component | Rating | Points of weight | Measurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural setting | Modest | 7.2 of 35 | 41% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (13% forest, 26% wetland; 43% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Good | 10.7 of 29 | mean fetch 1,936 m · 14% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · moderate open-water 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 | Modest | 3.1 of 18 | substantial nearby higher-volume roads · 121 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 7,716 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
- High — approximately 52% 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 — 13% forest and 26% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →
Fish you might catch
from angler catches & active stocking18 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
Northern Pike
Common Carp
Bowfin
Channel Catfish
Walleyestocked
Redhorse Sucker
Largemouth Bass
White Sucker
Smallmouth Bass
White Bass
Bullhead
Crappie
Bluegill
Rock Bass
Hybrid Sunfish
Pumpkinseed
Green SunfishFishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 18 species found here — 17 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 · 1994–2025Trophy-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 species17 species
Biggest on record
Bait: crawler (17) · minnow (11) · worm (9)
Method: still fishing (88) · spincasting (52) · ice fishing (16) · bowfishing (15)
DNR stocking
state stocking record · 1985–2018Fish the Michigan DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.
At the lake
community-mapped amenities · straight-line distanceBait & tackle nearby
licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distanceWixom Lake — common questions
How deep is Wixom Lake?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Wixom Lake is 40 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 Wixom Lake?
Wixom Lake covers about 1,166 acres in Gladwin County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Wixom Lake?
The estimated mean depth of Wixom Lake is 14.9 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
What fish are in Wixom Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include channel catfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, smallmouth bass, walleye. The page lists all 18 species and the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Wixom Lake?
Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 1 public access site on Wixom Lake, including Wixom Lake - West.
