Updated 9 Oct 2026, 2:27 am EDT. Get alerts for Mason County lakes
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63 lakes · 9,835 acres · 19 with measured depth · 8 with a public launch · 6 stocked
Mason County has 63 lakes of 10 acres or more, 47 of them named, covering 9,835 acres of water. The largest is Hamlin Lake at 4,622 acres; the deepest measured is Ford Lake at 84 ft. Michigan DNR has surveyed the depth of 19 lakes here. Several names repeat: 2 lakes are called Gooseneck 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. Drawn square to the county's survey lines, which run 1° off true north; the arrow points to true north. Not for navigation.
14 lakes in Mason County cover 100 acres or more. The 12 largest are listed here; the full register of 47 named lakes follows.
| Lake | Acres | Deepest | Clarity | Launches | Last stocked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamlin Lake | 4,622 | 65 ft | 1 | 2026 | |
| Ludington Storage Rese | 792 | 23 ft | |||
| Pere Marquette Lake | 606 | 1 | |||
| Round Lake | 542 | 10 ft | 5 ft | 1995 | |
| Bass Lake | 496 | 4 ft | 10 ft | 1982 | |
| Gun Lake | 233 | 22 ft | 13 ft | 1 | 1995 |
| Ford Lake | 183 | 84 ft | 16 ft | 1 | 2019 |
| Tallman Lake | 162 | 5 ft | 2 ft | 1 | |
| Lincoln Lake | 160 | about 15 ft (est.) | 6 ft | ||
| Hackert Lake | 120 | 16 ft | 16 ft | 1 | |
| Hopkins Lake | 119 | about 25 ft (est.) | 10 ft | ||
| Saint Marys Lake | 114 | about 20 ft (est.) | 6 ft | 1 |
| Lake | Acres | Deepest | Clarity | Launches | Last stocked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamlin Lake | 4,622 | 65 ft | 1 | 2026 | |
| Ludington Storage Rese | 792 | 23 ft | |||
| Pere Marquette Lake | 606 | 1 | |||
| Round Lake | 542 | 10 ft | 5 ft | 1995 | |
| Bass Lake | 496 | 4 ft | 10 ft | 1982 | |
| Gun Lake | 233 | 22 ft | 13 ft | 1 | 1995 |
| Ford Lake | 183 | 84 ft | 16 ft | 1 | 2019 |
| Tallman Lake | 162 | 5 ft | 2 ft | 1 | |
| Lincoln Lake | 160 | about 15 ft (est.) | 6 ft | ||
| Hackert Lake | 120 | 16 ft | 16 ft | 1 | |
| Hopkins Lake | 119 | about 25 ft (est.) | 10 ft | ||
| Saint Marys Lake | 114 | about 20 ft (est.) | 6 ft | 1 | |
| North Oxbow Lake | 110 | about 25 ft (est.) | 11 ft | ||
| Long Lake | 107 | 50 ft | 13 ft | 1995 | |
| Pleiness Lake | 98 | about 40 ft (est.) | 12 ft | 1 | |
| P.M. Sedimentation Pon | 78 | about 15 ft (est.) | |||
| Chancellor Lake | 67 | 50 ft | 17 ft | ||
| Thunder Lake | 66 | 20 ft | 9 ft | ||
| Eden Lake | 65 | 56 ft | 8 ft | ||
| Emerson Lake | 59 | 45 ft | 12 ft | ||
| Woodruff Lake | 59 | about 35 ft (est.) | 6 ft | ||
| Gooseneck Lake, Branch Township | 48 | 15 ft | 3 ft | ||
| Lost Lake | 46 | 5 ft | |||
| Cartier Lake | 42 | about 35 ft (est.) | 15 ft | ||
| Bartons Lake | 40 | 21 ft | 12 ft | ||
| Gooseneck Lake, Branch Township | 40 | 20 ft | 11 ft | ||
| Hoags Lake | 35 | 18 ft | 9 ft | ||
| West Lost Lake | 35 | about 15 ft (est.) | |||
| Picnic Lake | 31 | 20 ft | 6 ft | ||
| South Oxbow Lake | 30 | about 25 ft (est.) | 9 ft | ||
| Batcheller Lake | 29 | about 30 ft (est.) | 8 ft | ||
| west) Oxbow (south | 28 | about 25 ft (est.) | 7 ft | ||
| Casin Lake | 25 | 5 ft | 1 ft | ||
| Tainer Lake | 22 | about 20 ft (est.) | 11 ft | ||
| Pickerel Lake | 21 | about 25 ft (est.) | 14 ft | ||
| Vogel Lake | 21 | about 25 ft (est.) | 3 ft | ||
| Romeo and Juliet Lakes | 19 | about 25 ft (est.) | 11 ft | ||
| Middle Bayou | 19 | about 30 ft (est.) | 10 ft | ||
| East Lost Lake | 18 | about 20 ft (est.) | |||
| Allen Lake | 18 | about 20 ft (est.) | 2 ft | ||
| Nordhouse Lake | 18 | about 25 ft (est.) | 3 ft | ||
| Clancy Lake | 18 | about 15 ft (est.) | |||
| Williams Lake | 18 | about 20 ft (est.) | 11 ft | ||
| Augustine Lake | 16 | about 30 ft (est.) | 16 ft | ||
| Whelan Lake | 15 | 11 ft | 12 ft | ||
| Stewart Lake | 13 | 7 ft | |||
| South Bayou | 13 | 11 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.
5 lakes in Mason County are 50 ft deep or more by Michigan DNR survey. Ford Lake is the deepest at 84 ft, then Hamlin Lake (65 ft), Eden Lake (56 ft) and Long Lake (50 ft). The depth of the other 28 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 41 lakes with satellite readings, the middle value in Mason County is 10 ft. The clearest is Ludington Storage Rese at about 23 ft, then Chancellor Lake (17 ft), Hackert Lake (16 ft) and Augustine Lake (16 ft). The least clear is Casin Lake at about 1 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 Mason County; 8 require a Recreation Passport. The other 39 named lakes have no public access site listed by Michigan DNR.
| Lake | Site | Facilities |
|---|---|---|
| Hamlin Lake | Ludington State Park | 2 ramp lanes · 44 trailer spaces · 2 car spaces · vault toilet · Recreation Passport required |
| Pere Marquette Lake | Copeyon Park | 4 ramp lanes · 57 trailer spaces · flush toilets · Recreation Passport required |
| Gun Lake | Gun Lake | 1 ramp lane · 10 trailer spaces · vault toilet · accessible restroom · Recreation Passport required |
| Ford Lake | Ford Lake | 1 ramp lane · 6 trailer spaces · vault toilet · accessible restroom · Recreation Passport required |
| Tallman Lake | Tallman Lake | 1 ramp lane · 5 trailer spaces · Recreation Passport required |
| Hackert Lake | Hackert Lake | 1 ramp lane · 12 trailer spaces · 4 car spaces · vault toilet · accessible restroom · Recreation Passport required |
| Saint Marys Lake | St. Marys Lake | 1 ramp lane · 15 trailer spaces · 3 car spaces · vault toilet · Recreation Passport required |
| Pleiness Lake | Pleiness Lake | 1 ramp lane · 10 trailer spaces · 3 car spaces · vault toilet · accessible restroom · Recreation Passport required |
Michigan DNR boating access sites, fetched 8 Oct 2026.
Michigan DNR has stocked 6 lakes in Mason County 105 times since 1979. Walleye went into 5 lakes: Ford Lake, Gun Lake, Hamlin Lake, Long Lake and Round Lake. The most recent stocking was 149,984 walleye in Hamlin Lake on 2 June 2026. Rivers and smaller waters stocked in the county: Big S Br Pere Marquette River, Big Sable River, Hackert (Crystal) Lake, Lake Michigan, Lake Michigan - Ludington Harbor, North Branch Pentwater River, Pere Marquette River and South Branch Lincoln River and 2 more.
| Species | Lakes | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Walleye | 5 | Ford Lake, Gun Lake, Hamlin Lake, Long Lake and Round Lake |
| Hybrid sunfish | 2 | Ford Lake and Hamlin Lake |
| Tiger muskellunge | 2 | Bass Lake and Hamlin Lake |
| Muskellunge | 1 | Hamlin Lake |
| Black crappie | 1 | Ford Lake |
| Fathead minnow | 1 | Ford Lake |
| Bluegill | 1 | Hamlin Lake |
| Northern pike | 1 | Long Lake |
| Rainbow trout | 1 | Ford Lake |
2026: 1 stocking, 149,984 fish in 1 lake.
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
CAUTION Blooms were reported, not tested, on Hamlin Lake and Bass Lake. Check current advisories before swimming.
Michigan DHHS has records for 4 lakes in Mason County: water samples tested for the toxin microcystin, and bloom reports from the public that may not have been tested. 1 lake has 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.
63 lakes of 10 acres or more, 47 of them named, in Michigan's hydrography layer. Smaller ponds are not counted.
Hamlin Lake, at 4,622 acres.
Ford Lake, 84 ft at its deepest point by Michigan DNR survey.
Ludington Storage Rese, with an average Secchi depth of about 23 ft (satellite readings, 2018–23).
Michigan DNR lists public access sites on Hamlin Lake, Pere Marquette Lake, Gun Lake, Ford Lake, Tallman Lake, Hackert Lake, Saint Marys Lake and Pleiness Lake.
Ford Lake, Gun Lake, Hamlin Lake, Long Lake and Round Lake, by Michigan DNR stocking records.
Michigan DHHS has algae records for 4 lakes here; 1 measured at or above the EPA swimming guideline of 8 ppb at least once.