How deep is Oxbow Lake?

Oxbow Lake is more than 72 feet deep. The deepest contour in the Michigan DNR Inland Lake Contours survey is the 72 foot line, and the lake continues deeper inside it, with 15 depth bands mapped in total.

Where is the deepest part of Oxbow Lake?

The deepest surveyed water on Oxbow Lake sits toward the southeastern corner of the lake, inside the 72 ft contour. The interactive depth map above shows the full basin outline and the breaks leading into it.

How accurate is this Oxbow 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.

Michigan lake depth maps

Oxbow Lake depth map

Oxbow Lake in Oakland County, Michigan reaches a depth of more than 72 feet at its deepest surveyed contour. The official Michigan survey maps 15 depth bands across 41 contour lines. This free map of Oxbow Lake shows every surveyed contour as an interactive depth chart you can use to plan a session before you travel.

Oxbow Lake depth chart: 15 depth bands to 72+ ft

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

Oxbow Lake depth chart data
Depth contour	Share of mapped area inside it
5 ft	about 100%
10 ft	about 37%
15 ft	about 34%
20 ft	about 32%
30 ft	about 28%
40 ft	about 19%
50 ft	about 12%
60 ft	about 2%
70 ft	under 1%

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

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

At 72 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 15 mapped depth bands make it straightforward to find those breaks before you launch.

Ice fishing on Oxbow Lake

On deep water like Oxbow 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.

Oxbow Lake depth map FAQs

How deep is Oxbow Lake?: Oxbow Lake is more than 72 feet deep. The deepest contour in the Michigan DNR Inland Lake Contours survey is the 72 foot line, and the lake continues deeper inside it, with 15 depth bands mapped in total.
Where is the deepest part of Oxbow Lake?: The deepest surveyed water on Oxbow Lake sits toward the southeastern corner of the lake, inside the 72 ft contour. The interactive depth map above shows the full basin outline and the breaks leading into it.
How accurate is this Oxbow 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 Oxbow Lake

Cedar Island Lake depth map · 72 ft max · 1 mi away
Pontiac Lake depth map · 34 ft max · 2 mi away
Cooley Lake depth map · 56 ft max · 2 mi away
Union Lake depth map · 110 ft max · 4 mi away
Maceday Lake depth map · 117 ft max · 4 mi away

Mapped fishing venues near Oxbow Lake

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

Cedar Island Lake · 1 mi away
Pontiac Lake · 2 mi away
Cooley Lake · 2 mi away

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