Updated 9 Oct 2026, 1:59 am EDT. Get alerts for Hillsdale County lakes
National Weather Service; National Interagency Fire Center; U.S. EPA CyAN satellite; Michigan DHHS; Michigan DNR. Weather, warnings, fires and satellite refresh when you open the page (checked at most hourly).
68 lakes · 4,226 acres · 11 with measured depth · 8 with a public launch · 12 stocked
Hillsdale County has 68 lakes of 10 acres or more, 51 of them named, covering 4,226 acres of water. The largest is Baw Beese Lake at 448 acres; the deepest measured is Bird Lake at 64 ft. Michigan DNR has surveyed the depth of 11 lakes here. Several names repeat: 2 lakes are called Lake Le Ann and 2 lakes are called Long Lake.
Lake outlines: Michigan hydrography (lakes of 10 acres or more). Depths: Michigan DNR lake surveys, fetched 7 Oct 2026. County line: U.S. Census TIGER. Not for navigation.
13 lakes in Hillsdale County cover 100 acres or more. The 12 largest are listed here; the full register of 51 named lakes follows.
| Lake | Acres | Deepest | Clarity | Launches | Last stocked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baw Beese Lake | 448 | about 70 ft (est.) | 12 ft | 1995 | |
| Lake Le Ann, Somerset Township | 268 | 2025 | |||
| Lake Diane | 266 | 1 | |||
| Long Lake, Reading Township | 213 | 1 | 2026 | ||
| Lake Le Ann, Somerset Township | 199 | ||||
| Lake Somerset | 172 | about 40 ft (est.) | 9 ft | 2015 | |
| Long Lake | 155 | 35 ft | 7 ft | 1 | |
| Hemlock Lake | 150 | 60 ft | 8 ft | 1 | 2026 |
| Lombard Lake | 134 | about 30 ft (est.) | 11 ft | ||
| Crystal Lake | 130 | about 40 ft (est.) | 15 ft | 1995 | |
| Cub Lake | 122 | 43 ft | 1 | 1991 | |
| Bird Lake | 115 | 64 ft | 15 ft | 1 | 2025 |
| Lake | Acres | Deepest | Clarity | Launches | Last stocked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baw Beese Lake | 448 | about 70 ft (est.) | 12 ft | 1995 | |
| Lake Le Ann, Somerset Township | 268 | 2025 | |||
| Lake Diane | 266 | 1 | |||
| Long Lake, Reading Township | 213 | 1 | 2026 | ||
| Lake Le Ann, Somerset Township | 199 | ||||
| Lake Somerset | 172 | about 40 ft (est.) | 9 ft | 2015 | |
| Long Lake | 155 | 35 ft | 7 ft | 1 | |
| Hemlock Lake | 150 | 60 ft | 8 ft | 1 | 2026 |
| Lombard Lake | 134 | about 30 ft (est.) | 11 ft | ||
| Crystal Lake | 130 | about 40 ft (est.) | 15 ft | 1995 | |
| Cub Lake | 122 | 43 ft | 1 | 1991 | |
| Bird Lake | 115 | 64 ft | 15 ft | 1 | 2025 |
| Bear Lake | 105 | 50 ft | 12 ft | 1 | 2025 |
| Merry Lake | 98 | about 25 ft (est.) | 2 ft | ||
| Goose Lake | 83 | 60 ft | 11 ft | 2004 | |
| Round Lake | 78 | 30 ft | 9 ft | 1 | |
| Lime Lake | 71 | about 45 ft (est.) | 6 ft | ||
| Bankers Lake | 68 | about 35 ft (est.) | 11 ft | ||
| Lombard Lake (southwes | 67 | about 20 ft (est.) | |||
| Lake Adams | 64 | about 25 ft (est.) | 6 ft | ||
| Rebeck Lake | 50 | about 30 ft (est.) | 10 ft | ||
| Mallory Lake | 48 | about 35 ft (est.) | 11 ft | ||
| Fourth Lake | 47 | about 50 ft (est.) | 13 ft | ||
| Willet Lake | 46 | about 20 ft (est.) | |||
| Perch Lake | 46 | about 5 ft (est.) | 9 ft | ||
| Loon Lake | 40 | ||||
| Turner Lake | 40 | 9 ft | |||
| Duck Lake | 36 | about 30 ft (est.) | 13 ft | ||
| Carpenter Lake | 36 | about 25 ft (est.) | 11 ft | 2026 | |
| Cambria Millpond | 36 | 12 ft | |||
| Cobb Lake | 34 | 25 ft | 10 ft | ||
| Hastings Lake | 33 | 35 ft | 9 ft | ||
| Lombard Lake (southeas | 33 | ||||
| Moon Lake | 31 | about 30 ft (est.) | 7 ft | ||
| Braxee Lake | 29 | about 30 ft (est.) | 9 ft | ||
| Lake Number Five | 25 | about 25 ft (est.) | 1994 | ||
| Berry Lake | 25 | about 25 ft (est.) | 4 ft | ||
| Mead Lake | 22 | about 25 ft (est.) | 9 ft | ||
| Pike Lake | 20 | about 30 ft (est.) | 11 ft | ||
| Mosherville Lake | 19 | about 30 ft (est.) | 13 ft | ||
| Marsh Lake | 19 | about 25 ft (est.) | 4 ft | ||
| Lake Diane (central) | 17 | about 20 ft (est.) | 3 ft | ||
| Lake Number Two | 16 | about 25 ft (est.) | |||
| Pittsford Millpond | 14 | ||||
| Barber #6 | 14 | ||||
| Hog Lake | 13 | 10 ft | |||
| Barber Lake #4 | 12 | ||||
| Barber #7 | 11 | ||||
| Suckey Lake | 11 | 8 ft | |||
| Barber #9 | 10 | 5 ft | |||
| Blood Lake | 10 | 12 ft |
Acres: Michigan hydrography. Deepest: Michigan DNR survey; "est." marks an older Michigan EGLE estimate, rounded to 5 ft. Clarity: Michigan EGLE satellite averages 2018–23. Launches: Michigan DNR. Stocking: Michigan DNR Fisheries. Fetched 7–8 Oct 2026.
4 lakes in Hillsdale County are 50 ft deep or more by Michigan DNR survey. Bird Lake is the deepest at 64 ft, then Hemlock Lake (60 ft), Goose Lake (60 ft) and Bear Lake (50 ft). The depth of the other 40 named lakes has not been surveyed; where an older state estimate exists, the register gives it as an estimate.
Michigan DNR lake survey deep points, fetched 7 Oct 2026.
Clarity is the depth at which a black-and-white Secchi disk disappears from view. Across 34 lakes with satellite readings, the middle value in Hillsdale County is 10 ft. The clearest is Bird Lake at about 15 ft, then Crystal Lake (15 ft), Mosherville Lake (13 ft) and Fourth Lake (13 ft). The least clear is Merry Lake at about 2 ft. Clarity is not a test for bacteria or algae toxins.
Michigan EGLE satellite-derived Secchi depth, averages 2018–23, fetched 7 Oct 2026.
Michigan DNR lists 8 public access sites on 8 lakes in Hillsdale County; 8 require a Recreation Passport. The other 43 named lakes have no public access site listed by Michigan DNR.
| Lake | Site | Facilities |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Diane | Lake Diane | 2 ramp lanes · 14 trailer spaces · vault toilet · accessible restroom · Recreation Passport required |
| Long Lake, Reading Township | Long Lake | 1 ramp lane · 5 trailer spaces · 3 car spaces · vault toilet · accessible restroom · Recreation Passport required |
| Long Lake | Little Long Lake | 1 ramp lane · 6 trailer spaces · 2 car spaces · vault toilet · accessible restroom · Recreation Passport required |
| Hemlock Lake | Hemlock Lake | 1 ramp lane · 8 trailer spaces · 2 car spaces · vault toilet · accessible restroom · Recreation Passport required |
| Cub Lake | Cub Lake | 1 ramp lane · 7 trailer spaces · vault toilet · accessible restroom · Recreation Passport required |
| Bird Lake | Bird Lake | 1 ramp lane · 7 trailer spaces · vault toilet · accessible restroom · Recreation Passport required |
| Bear Lake | Bear Lake | 1 ramp lane · 7 trailer spaces · vault toilet · accessible restroom · Recreation Passport required |
| Round Lake | Round Lake | 1 ramp lane · 3 trailer spaces · 2 car spaces · vault toilet · accessible restroom · Recreation Passport required |
Michigan DNR boating access sites, fetched 8 Oct 2026.
Michigan DNR has stocked 12 lakes in Hillsdale County 247 times since 1980. Walleye went into 8 lakes: Baw Beese Lake, Carpenter Lake, Crystal Lake, Goose Lake, Hemlock Lake, Lake Le Ann, Somerset Township, Lake Somerset and Long Lake, Reading Township. The most recent stocking was 500 yellow perch in Long Lake, Reading Township on 3 May 2026. Bird Lake and Bear Lake are designated trout lakes (Type C), with their own seasons and limits. Rivers and smaller waters stocked in the county: Lake Bel Air, Lake Diane (Goforth Lake) (Hagaman Lake), Mud Lake, Sand Creek, South Branch Kalamazoo River and St Joseph of the Maumee.
| Species | Lakes | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Walleye | 8 | Baw Beese Lake, Carpenter Lake, Crystal Lake, Goose Lake, Hemlock Lake and Lake Le Ann, Somerset Township and 2 more |
| Redear sunfish | 7 | Baw Beese Lake, Bear Lake, Bird Lake, Cub Lake, Hemlock Lake and Lake Number Five and 1 more |
| Yellow perch | 5 | Carpenter Lake, Hemlock Lake, Lake Le Ann, Somerset Township, Lake Somerset and Long Lake, Reading Township |
| Rainbow trout | 3 | Bear Lake, Bird Lake and Hemlock Lake |
| Northern pike | 3 | Crystal Lake, Lake Le Ann, Somerset Township and Lake Somerset |
| Largemouth bass | 3 | Lake Le Ann, Somerset Township, Lake Number Five and Lake Somerset |
| Hybrid sunfish | 3 | Lake Le Ann, Somerset Township, Lake Number Five and Lake Somerset |
| Black crappie | 2 | Cub Lake and Lake Le Ann, Somerset Township |
| Channel catfish | 2 | Lake Le Ann, Somerset Township and Lake Somerset |
| Smallmouth bass | 2 | Lake Le Ann, Somerset Township and Lake Somerset |
| Fathead minnow | 1 | Lake Le Ann, Somerset Township |
| Pumpkinseed | 1 | Lake Number Five |
| Bluegill | 1 | Lake Number Five |
| Tiger muskellunge | 1 | Baw Beese Lake |
2026: 3 stockings, 1,500 fish in 3 lakes.
Michigan DNR Fisheries stocking records, fetched 8 Oct 2026. Each stocking is placed by its survey section, so lakes that share a name are kept apart. How we measure
Michigan DHHS has records for 7 lakes in Hillsdale County: water samples tested for the toxin microcystin, and bloom reports from the public that may not have been tested. 4 lakes have measured at or above the EPA swimming guideline of 8 ppb at least once.
Michigan DHHS harmful algal bloom records, fetched 7 Oct 2026; U.S. EPA 2019 recreational criteria. Beach E. coli testing is not yet covered here.
68 lakes of 10 acres or more, 51 of them named, in Michigan's hydrography layer. Smaller ponds are not counted.
Baw Beese Lake, at 448 acres.
Bird Lake, 64 ft at its deepest point by Michigan DNR survey.
Bird Lake, with an average Secchi depth of about 15 ft (satellite readings, 2018–23).
Michigan DNR lists public access sites on Lake Diane, Long Lake, Reading Township, Long Lake, Hemlock Lake, Cub Lake, Bird Lake, Bear Lake and Round Lake.
Baw Beese Lake, Carpenter Lake, Crystal Lake, Goose Lake, Hemlock Lake, Lake Le Ann, Somerset Township, Lake Somerset and Long Lake, Reading Township, by Michigan DNR stocking records.
Michigan DHHS has algae records for 7 lakes here; 4 measured at or above the EPA swimming guideline of 8 ppb at least once.