How deep is Osterhout Lake?

Osterhout Lake is at least 30 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 20 ft contour, and the water may run deeper still.

Where is the deepest part of Osterhout Lake?

The deepest charted water on Osterhout Lake lies inside the 20 ft contour, toward the northeastern corner of the lake. That contour encloses 2.1 acres, 2% 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 Osterhout Lake is shallower than 10 feet?

About half. The 10 ft contour encloses 16 acres of the roughly 105 acres inside the outer 5 ft line, so the other half of the water is shallower than 10 feet. The sharpest drop is between 5 and 10 feet, where the mapped water sheds 89 acres.

How accurate is this Osterhout 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

Osterhout Lake depth map

Osterhout Lake in Allegan County, Michigan reaches a depth of more than 30 feet at its deepest surveyed sounding. Osterhout Lake is charted here across 4 closed depth contours, from the 5 ft line down to 20 ft, enclosing about 105 acres of water. Half of that water lies inside the 10 ft line, and only 2.1 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

Osterhout Lake depth chart: 4 depth contours from 5 to 20 ft

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

Osterhout Lake depth chart data: water enclosed by each contour
Depth contour	Water inside it	Share of mapped water
5 ft	105 acres	100%
10 ft	16 acres	15%
15 ft	7.7 acres	7.3%
20 ft	2.1 acres	2%

Acreages are computed from the closed Michigan DNR Inland Lake Contours contour rings, with islands subtracted. Shares are of the 105 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 30 ft sounding, marked as a point rather than a closed contour, so it is not charted as a band.

Fishing Osterhout Lake: an evenly graded bottom

Inside its outermost 5 ft contour the survey charts about 105 acres of Osterhout Lake, with the 10 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 5 and 10 ft, where the mapped water loses 89 acres in 5 ft of depth, that band is the contour to work first, because it is where the bottom stops being flat. 2.1 acres, 2% of the mapped water, lie inside the deepest 20 ft contour, toward the northeastern corner of the lake. With 30 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 5 and 10 ft lines pinch together, hardest in early season and again as fish follow bait back down in autumn.

Ice fishing on Osterhout Lake

Osterhout Lake's 30 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 20 ft hole, all 2.1 acres of it; as the sun gets up, move onto the 5–10 ft break, and spend the middle of the day on the flats inside the 10 ft line. Check ice thickness locally before you walk out.

Osterhout Lake depth map FAQs

How deep is Osterhout Lake?: Osterhout Lake is at least 30 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 20 ft contour, and the water may run deeper still.
Where is the deepest part of Osterhout Lake?: The deepest charted water on Osterhout Lake lies inside the 20 ft contour, toward the northeastern corner of the lake. That contour encloses 2.1 acres, 2% 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 Osterhout Lake is shallower than 10 feet?: About half. The 10 ft contour encloses 16 acres of the roughly 105 acres inside the outer 5 ft line, so the other half of the water is shallower than 10 feet. The sharpest drop is between 5 and 10 feet, where the mapped water sheds 89 acres.
How accurate is this Osterhout 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 Osterhout Lake

Shafer Lake depth map · 70+ ft max · 17 mi away
Christie Lake depth map · 48+ ft max · 18 mi away
Eagle Lake depth map · 60+ ft max · 19 mi away
Paw Paw Lake depth map · 90+ ft max · 20 mi away
Lake Sixteen depth map · 80+ ft max · 23 mi away

Mapped fishing venues near Osterhout Lake

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

Frog pond · 13 mi away
Big Dipper · 13 mi away
Little Dipper · 13 mi away

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