How deep is Elk Lake?

Elk Lake reaches a maximum depth of 47 feet in the Michigan DNR Inland Lake Contours survey. Most of it is far shallower: the survey charts 10 closed depth contours over about 72 acres, and half of that water sits inside the 20 ft line.

Where is the deepest part of Elk Lake?

The deepest charted water on Elk Lake lies inside the 47 ft contour, toward the southern end of the lake. That contour encloses under an acre, under 1% of the mapped water, so it is a small target on a small water, the depth chart above gives the contour to line up on.

How much of Elk Lake is shallower than 20 feet?

About half. The 20 ft contour encloses 25 acres of the roughly 72 acres inside the outer 5 ft line, so the other half of the water is shallower than 20 feet. The sharpest drop is between 5 and 10 feet, where the mapped water sheds 26 acres.

How accurate is this Elk Lake depth map?

The contours come from the Michigan DNR Inland Lake Contours survey, retrieved August 2026 and last rebuilt on August 19, 2026. 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. Acreages are computed from the published contour geometry, not from a separate area survey, so read them as close approximations.

Michigan lake depth maps

Elk Lake depth map

Elk Lake in Gladwin County, Michigan reaches a depth of 47 feet. Elk Lake is charted here across 10 closed depth contours, from the 5 ft line down to 47 ft, enclosing about 72 acres of water. Half of that water lies inside the 20 ft line, and only under an acre lie inside the deepest one. Every contour is on the interactive map below, free and without an account.

Data: Michigan DNR Inland Lake Contours (public record). Contours closed, checked and area-computed by Jordan Carter, founder of GilledIt · page updated August 19, 2026

Elk Lake depth chart: 10 depth contours from 5 to 47 ft

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

Elk Lake depth chart data: water enclosed by each contour
Depth contour	Water inside it	Share of mapped water
5 ft	72 acres	100%
10 ft	46 acres	64%
15 ft	36 acres	50%
20 ft	25 acres	35%
25 ft	12 acres	17%
30 ft	8.2 acres	11%
35 ft	4.8 acres	6.7%
40 ft	2.2 acres	3.1%
45 ft	under 1 acre	1%
47 ft	under 1 acre	under 1%

Acreages are computed from the closed Michigan DNR Inland Lake Contours contour rings, with islands subtracted. Shares are of the 72 acres inside the outermost charted contour (the 5 ft line), which is the outer edge of the mapped water, several state files carry no 0 ft shoreline line, so this is not the same as a share of the lake's published surface area.

Fishing Elk Lake: an evenly graded bottom

The survey encloses about 72 acres of Elk Lake inside its 5 ft contour, and half of that water lies inside the 20 ft line, so the bottom loses depth gradually and evenly, with no broad shelf and no single abrupt drop. Between 5 and 10 ft the mapped water sheds 26 acres in 5 ft of depth, the sharpest change on the chart, start on that band, because it is where the bottom stops being flat. Inside the 47 ft contour there is under an acre of water, toward the southern end of the lake: a single pocket rather than a basin, and worth a drift over in high summer. Nothing here reaches a true cold-water layer at 47 ft, so structure does the thermocline's work: the points and inside turns where the 5 and 10 ft lines pinch together fish hardest in early season, and again as fish follow bait back down in autumn.

Ice fishing on Elk Lake

At 47 ft, Elk Lake is a workable ice depth: deep enough to hold fish all winter without the slow freeze-up of a big basin. Start on the 47 ft hole, 0.4 acres of it, at first light, then move up onto the 5–10 ft break as the sun gets up, and fish the flats inside the 20 ft line through the middle of the day. Check ice thickness locally before you walk out.

Elk Lake depth map FAQs

How deep is Elk Lake?: Elk Lake reaches a maximum depth of 47 feet in the Michigan DNR Inland Lake Contours survey. Most of it is far shallower: the survey charts 10 closed depth contours over about 72 acres, and half of that water sits inside the 20 ft line.
Where is the deepest part of Elk Lake?: The deepest charted water on Elk Lake lies inside the 47 ft contour, toward the southern end of the lake. That contour encloses under an acre, under 1% of the mapped water, so it is a small target on a small water, the depth chart above gives the contour to line up on.
How much of Elk Lake is shallower than 20 feet?: About half. The 20 ft contour encloses 25 acres of the roughly 72 acres inside the outer 5 ft line, so the other half of the water is shallower than 20 feet. The sharpest drop is between 5 and 10 feet, where the mapped water sheds 26 acres.
How accurate is this Elk Lake depth map?: The contours come from the Michigan DNR Inland Lake Contours survey, retrieved August 2026 and last rebuilt on August 19, 2026. 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. Acreages are computed from the published contour geometry, not from a separate area survey, so read them as close approximations.

Depth maps for lakes near Elk Lake

Lake George depth map · 48 ft max · 7 mi away
Arnold Lake depth map · 80+ ft max · 20 mi away
Long Lake depth map · 76 ft max · 21 mi away
Houghton Lake depth map · 21 ft max · 22 mi away
Little Long Lake depth map · 60+ ft max · 23 mi away

Mapped fishing venues near Elk Lake

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

Lake George · 7 mi away
Arnold Lake · 20 mi away
Long Lake · 21 mi away

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