How deep is Pontiac Lake?

Pontiac Lake reaches a maximum depth of 34 feet in the Michigan DNR Inland Lake Contours survey. Most of it is far shallower: the survey charts 5 closed depth contours over about 675 acres, and half of that water sits inside the 10 ft line.

Where is the deepest part of Pontiac Lake?

The deepest charted water on Pontiac Lake lies inside the 34 ft contour, toward the eastern side of the lake. That contour encloses 5.7 acres, under 1% of the mapped water, so it is a small target on a big lake, the depth chart above gives the contour to line up on.

How much of Pontiac Lake is shallower than 10 feet?

About half. The 10 ft contour encloses 183 acres of the roughly 675 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 492 acres.

How accurate is this Pontiac 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

Pontiac Lake depth map

Pontiac Lake in Oakland County, Michigan reaches a depth of 34 feet. Pontiac Lake is charted here across 5 closed depth contours, from the 5 ft line down to 34 ft, enclosing about 675 acres of water. Half of that water lies inside the 10 ft line, and only 5.7 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

Pontiac Lake depth chart: 5 depth contours from 5 to 34 ft

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

Pontiac Lake depth chart data: water enclosed by each contour
Depth contour	Water inside it	Share of mapped water
5 ft	675 acres	100%
10 ft	183 acres	27%
20 ft	60 acres	8.9%
30 ft	13 acres	1.9%
34 ft	5.7 acres	under 1%

Acreages are computed from the closed Michigan DNR Inland Lake Contours contour rings, with islands subtracted. Shares are of the 675 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 Pontiac Lake: a broad shallow flat

About 675 acres of Pontiac Lake sit inside the survey's 5 ft contour, and half of that water is already gone by the 10 ft line: the bulk of this Oakland County water sits on a shallow flat, with the real depth packed into one part of the basin. The steepest break on the chart runs from 5 down to 10 ft: 492 acres of bottom fall away across 5 ft there, which makes that band the first contour to work. The deepest 34 ft contour holds 5.7 acres, under 1% of the mapped water, toward the eastern side of the lake. Nothing here reaches a true cold-water layer at 34 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 Pontiac Lake

At 34 ft, Pontiac 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 34 ft hole, 5.7 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 10 ft line through the middle of the day. Check ice thickness locally before you walk out.

Pontiac Lake depth map FAQs

How deep is Pontiac Lake?: Pontiac Lake reaches a maximum depth of 34 feet in the Michigan DNR Inland Lake Contours survey. Most of it is far shallower: the survey charts 5 closed depth contours over about 675 acres, and half of that water sits inside the 10 ft line.
Where is the deepest part of Pontiac Lake?: The deepest charted water on Pontiac Lake lies inside the 34 ft contour, toward the eastern side of the lake. That contour encloses 5.7 acres, under 1% of the mapped water, so it is a small target on a big lake, the depth chart above gives the contour to line up on.
How much of Pontiac Lake is shallower than 10 feet?: About half. The 10 ft contour encloses 183 acres of the roughly 675 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 492 acres.
How accurate is this Pontiac 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 Pontiac Lake

Oxbow Lake depth map · 72+ ft max · 2 mi away
Maceday Lake depth map · 117 ft max · 3 mi away
Cedar Island Lake depth map · 72 ft max · 3 mi away
Cooley Lake depth map · 56 ft max · 3 mi away
Union Lake depth map · 110 ft max · 4 mi away

Mapped fishing venues near Pontiac Lake

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

Oxbow Lake · 2 mi away
Maceday Lake · 3 mi away
Cedar Island Lake · 3 mi away

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