Michigan lake depth maps

Clear Lake depth map

Clear Lake in Montmorency County, Michigan reaches a depth of more than 90 feet at its deepest surveyed contour. The official Michigan survey maps 10 depth bands across 11 contour lines. This free map of Clear Lake shows every surveyed contour as an interactive depth chart you can use to plan a session before you travel.

Clear Lake depth chart: 10 depth bands to 90+ ft

Data: Michigan DNR Inland Lake Contours (public record), retrieved August 2026 · depths change over time · not for navigation

Clear Lake depth chart data
Depth contourShare of mapped area inside it
5 ftabout 100%
10 ftabout 42%
20 ftabout 35%
30 ftabout 28%
40 ftabout 20%
50 ftabout 14%
60 ftabout 10%
70 ftabout 7%
80 ftabout 4%
90 ftabout 2%

Share of the surveyed surface area enclosed by each depth contour, computed from the Michigan DNR Inland Lake Contours data.

How to fish Clear Lake: deep, two-story water

At 90 feet, this is a two-story fishery: warm-water species work the shallows and weed edges while the deep basin can hold cold-water fish below the summer thermocline. In summer, target the transition where the bottom breaks from the shallow shelf toward the basin; fish suspend along that edge at dawn and dusk. The 10 mapped depth bands make it straightforward to find those breaks before you launch.

Ice fishing on Clear Lake

On deep water like Clear Lake, the winter bite concentrates along the first major drop-off rather than the deepest basin. Use the contours above to find where the shallow shelf breaks toward deep water and set up on that edge; panfish and walleye slide up and down it through the day. Late ice often pushes fish shallower again. Always verify ice thickness locally before walking out, and remember deep lakes freeze later and less evenly than shallow ones.

Clear Lake depth map FAQs

How deep is Clear Lake?
Clear Lake is more than 90 feet deep. The deepest contour in the Michigan DNR Inland Lake Contours survey is the 90 foot line, and the lake continues deeper inside it, with 10 depth bands mapped in total.
Where is the deepest part of Clear Lake?
The deepest surveyed water on Clear Lake sits toward the middle of the lake, inside the 90 ft contour. The interactive depth map above shows the full basin outline and the breaks leading into it.
How accurate is this Clear Lake depth map?
The contours come from the Michigan DNR Inland Lake Contours survey. Depths change over time with water levels and sediment, so treat this map as a planning guide for fishing, and never use it for navigation.

Depth maps for lakes near Clear Lake

Mapped fishing venues near Clear Lake

Clear Lake in the venue directory covers access and fishing details for this water.

Fishing in Michigan needs a state license: Michigan fishing license guide · all Michigan venues