Michigan has 5 lakes named Elk Lake of 10 acres or more, in 4 counties. The largest is in Grand Traverse County (8,195 acres); the deepest measured, in Grand Traverse County (150 ft). 2 have been stocked by the DNR and 1 has a public launch.
How they differ: The clearest is in Grand Traverse County, about 16 ft of visibility in the 2023 satellite estimate; the most recently stocked is in Grand Traverse County (14 Apr 2026); public launches are listed on the ones in Grand Traverse County; the other 4 have no public access site in the DNR list; 1 has a full page here with a depth map, linked below.
Circles sized by area and shaded by deepest measured point. Michigan DNR lake polygons and depth surveys.
Largest first. The nearest town is the closest place in the Census list to the middle of the lake.
| Lake | Near | Acres | Deepest | Clarity | Stockings | Launches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk LakeGrand Traverse County | 2 mi southeast of Elk Rapids | 8,195 | 150 ft | 16 ft | 87 times, last 2026 | 2 |
| Elk LakeAttica Township, Lapeer County, Attica Township | 4 mi west of Imlay City | 89 | about 35 ft (est.) | 13 ft | ||
| Elk LakeGladwin County, Clement Township | 10 mi southwest of West Branch | 68 | 47 ft | 8 ft | once, 2006 | |
| Elk LakeArcadia Township, Lapeer County, Arcadia Township | 8 mi south of North Branch | 34 | about 15 ft (est.) | |||
| Elk LakeIron County, Stambaugh Township | 17 mi west of Iron River | 21 |
Depth: Michigan DNR survey soundings; "about" figures are older Michigan EGLE estimates. Clarity: Michigan EGLE satellite estimate, 2023 average. Stockings: Michigan DNR Fisheries. Launches: Michigan DNR public access sites. Towns: US Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer. How we measure