Lakes / Michigan / Lake Leelanau
Lake Leelanau, Michigan
8,608 acres
Surface Area
62 ft
Max Depth
23.5 ft
Average Depth
586 ft
Surface Elevation
Where It Sits, and How Deep It Goes
Locator - Michigan
44.87 degrees N, 85.71 degrees W - Leelanau County. State and county outlines drawn from Census boundary data; the lake marker is placed by its Michigan DNR coordinates, not by eye. Schematic - not a survey map.
Depth Profile - Lake Leelanau
Schematic cross-section drawn to one shared depth scale - not a survey or bathymetric map.
How Lake Leelanau Stacks Up
- The largest lake in Leelanau County among those counted.
- Its average depth of 23.5 ft is more than 2 times a typical shallow Michigan lake, which averages under 10 ft.
- About 9 miles from Traverse City, as the crow flies.
Facts and Figures
Waterbody ID45-3
CountyLeelanau
Coordinates44.8679, -85.7134
Deepest Natural Lakes in Michigan
| # | Lake | County | Surface Area | Max Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Torch Lake | Antrim | 18,713 acres | 285 ft |
| 2 | Elk Lake | Antrim | 8,194 acres | 192 ft |
| 3 | Crystal Lake | Benzie | 9,865 acres | 175 ft |
| 4 | Lake Angeline | Marquette | - | 162 ft |
| 5 | Syphon Lake | Luce | 11 acres | 160 ft |
Largest Lakes in Michigan
| # | Lake | County | Surface Area | Max Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houghton Lake | Roscommon | 20,070 acres | 21 ft |
| 2 | Torch Lake | Antrim | 18,713 acres | 285 ft |
| 3 | Burt Lake | Cheboygan | 17,393 acres | 73 ft |
| 4 | Lake Charlevoix | Charlevoix | 17,256 acres | 120 ft |
| 5 | Mullett Lake | Cheboygan | 16,702 acres | 120 ft |
Sources: Michigan DNR lake data (ID 45-3); USGS. Verified October 30, 2026.