How deep is Horsehead Lake?

Horsehead Lake is at least 54 feet deep. That figure is the deepest surveyed sounding in the Michigan DNR Inland Lake Contours survey, a point measurement rather than a closed contour, so the deepest line you can actually trace on the map is the 50 ft contour, and the water may run deeper still.

Where is the deepest part of Horsehead Lake?

The deepest charted water on Horsehead Lake lies inside the 50 ft contour, toward the western side of the lake. That contour encloses 1.4 acres, 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 Horsehead Lake is shallower than 25 feet?

About half. The 25 ft contour encloses 73 acres of the roughly 165 acres inside the outer 5 ft line, so the other half of the water is shallower than 25 feet. The sharpest drop is between 15 and 20 feet, where the mapped water sheds 47 acres.

How accurate is this Horsehead 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

Horsehead Lake depth map

Horsehead Lake in Mecosta County, Michigan reaches a depth of more than 54 feet at its deepest surveyed sounding. Horsehead Lake is charted here across 9 closed depth contours, from the 5 ft line down to 50 ft, enclosing about 165 acres of water. Half of that water lies inside the 25 ft line, and only 1.4 acres 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

Horsehead Lake depth chart: 9 depth contours from 5 to 50 ft

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

Horsehead Lake depth chart data: water enclosed by each contour
Depth contour	Water inside it	Share of mapped water
5 ft	165 acres	100%
15 ft	153 acres	92%
20 ft	106 acres	64%
25 ft	73 acres	44%
30 ft	44 acres	26%
35 ft	23 acres	14%
40 ft	9.3 acres	5.6%
45 ft	4.4 acres	2.7%
50 ft	1.4 acres	under 1%

Acreages are computed from the closed Michigan DNR Inland Lake Contours contour rings, with islands subtracted. Shares are of the 165 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. The survey also records a 54 ft sounding, marked as a point rather than a closed contour, so it is not charted as a band.

Fishing Horsehead Lake: an evenly graded bottom

Inside its outermost 5 ft contour the survey charts about 165 acres of Horsehead Lake, with the 25 ft line enclosing half of it, so the bottom falls away at a steady rate rather than shelving off or dropping in one step. The sharpest change on the chart is between 15 and 20 ft, where the mapped water loses 47 acres in 5 ft of depth, that band is the contour to work first, because it is where the bottom stops being flat. 1.4 acres, under 1% of the mapped water, lie inside the deepest 50 ft contour, toward the western side of the lake. With 54 ft at its deepest there is no true cold-water layer here, so structure does the work the thermocline does elsewhere: fish the points and inside turns where the 15 and 20 ft lines pinch together, hardest in early season and again as fish follow bait back down in autumn.

Ice fishing on Horsehead Lake

Horsehead Lake's 54 ft is a workable ice depth, enough water to hold fish all winter, without the slow freeze-up of a big basin. First light belongs on the 50 ft hole, all 1.4 acres of it; as the sun gets up, move onto the 15–20 ft break, and spend the middle of the day on the flats inside the 25 ft line. Check ice thickness locally before you walk out.

Horsehead Lake depth map FAQs

How deep is Horsehead Lake?: Horsehead Lake is at least 54 feet deep. That figure is the deepest surveyed sounding in the Michigan DNR Inland Lake Contours survey, a point measurement rather than a closed contour, so the deepest line you can actually trace on the map is the 50 ft contour, and the water may run deeper still.
Where is the deepest part of Horsehead Lake?: The deepest charted water on Horsehead Lake lies inside the 50 ft contour, toward the western side of the lake. That contour encloses 1.4 acres, 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 Horsehead Lake is shallower than 25 feet?: About half. The 25 ft contour encloses 73 acres of the roughly 165 acres inside the outer 5 ft line, so the other half of the water is shallower than 25 feet. The sharpest drop is between 15 and 20 feet, where the mapped water sheds 47 acres.
How accurate is this Horsehead 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 Horsehead Lake

Big Lake depth map · 85 ft max · 13 mi away
Coldwater Lake depth map · 65+ ft max · 15 mi away
Boyles Creek depth map · 70+ ft max · 17 mi away
Littlefield Lake depth map · 60+ ft max · 17 mi away
Indian Lake depth map · 50 ft max · 21 mi away

Mapped fishing venues near Horsehead Lake

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

Sunset Lake · 8 mi away
Fawn Lake · 9 mi away
Fishing peir · 11 mi away

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