Indiana Lake Depths
NESW

Bruce Lake

Fulton County, Indiana · IN DNR bathymetric survey
30ft Max
depth
246 acres 6 contours Public access
Paddling Index55Mixedaway from major roads · sheltered geometry
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Depth scale

The lake

Survey readout

Bruce Lake is mapped to a depth of 30 ft on the Indiana DNR survey and covers about 246 acres in Fulton County, Indiana. Depths come from the Indiana DNR survey of 2026.

Measured from the Indiana DNR lake bathymetry survey.

Deepest mapped contour
30 ft
Survey year
2026
Surface area
246 acres
Shoreline
4.78 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation
14% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access
Boat Ramp · Indiana DNR site
Additional depth details6 contours
Contour depths
0–30 ft
Recorded point soundings
30 ft
Compare with another lake
Location
Fulton County, Indiana · all 6 lakes · tap a dot for that lake
Chart data

Provenance

Sources: IN DNR Lake Bathymetry, USGS 3DEP, USDA NAIP (public domain), OpenStreetMap (ODbL).

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Map details & sources4 sources

All layers registered to one bounding box; positions in WGS 84.

Survey-derived depth contours drape over USGS 3DEP elevation, with a USDA NAIP aerial basemap and OpenStreetMap shoreline. Color shows surveyed depth; dark lines are the survey's own isobaths.

Coordinates
41.07680, -86.46263
IN DNR lake ID
155352553
Vertical exaggeration
2.66×
Basemap
USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size
2.0 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-10-08
55 / 100MixedData confidence: High

Bruce Lake has a substantially developed setting, generally sheltered geometry, little nearby major-road exposure. No special watercraft restriction is identified in the current source.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

ComponentRatingPoints of weightMeasurement
Natural settingModest4.8 of 3032% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (1% forest, 23% wetland; 35% developed)
Geometric wind exposureVery Good15.2 of 25mean fetch 1,047 m · 3% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · generally short fetch
Watercraft controlsNone identified7.5 of 15No special watercraft restriction identified in the current DNR source. Motors permitted, subject to general law.
Public accessGood12.8 of 151 DNR fishing access site · boat ramp · ADA-accessible
Road isolationExcellent15.0 of 15relatively isolated from major roads · 0 INDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km

Additional paddling considerations

These describe the lake but are not part of the v1 Paddling Index and do not change the number above.

Wake sensitivity
Low — wide enough that wakes disperse over most of the lake
Aquatic vegetation
Low — approximately 14% mapped coverage · NAIP aerial imagery (NDVI)
Observed motorized activity
Unknown — No lake-level measurement of boat traffic is available. Legal permission to operate motors is not evidence of use.
Wildlife habitat potential
Limited — 1% forest and 23% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
How this index is calculated. The Paddling Index is a relative composite derived from lake geometry and public environmental, access, roadway and watercraft-control data. It is not a user review, a safety rating, or a prediction of an individual outing. Differences of a few points should not be treated as meaningful — an 84 and an 82 are broadly comparable. Components and weights: natural setting 30%, geometric wind exposure 25%, watercraft controls 15%, public access 15%, road isolation 15%; observed motorboat activity is weighted 0% because no defensible lake-level measurement exists. Where a component has no data the remaining weights are renormalized and the confidence rating is lowered; below Medium confidence no number is shown. Sources: USGS NHD waterbody outline, USGS/MRLC NLCD Land Cover (2021), IN DNR Fishing Access Sites (motor restrictions) (2026-08), IN DNR Fishing Access Sites (2026-08) and INDOT Annual Average Daily Traffic (2021). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.
Quick answers

Bruce Lake — common questions

How deep is Bruce Lake?

The deepest contour on the Indiana DNR bathymetric survey of Bruce Lake is 30 ft. That is the deepest depth the historical survey map records, which may differ from the deepest point of the lake itself.

How big is Bruce Lake?

Bruce Lake covers about 246 acres in Fulton County, Indiana.

Is there public access to Bruce Lake?

Yes. The Indiana DNR lists a public access site on Bruce Lake: a boat ramp with restrooms and ADA access. The DNR records no fee. DNR directions: "Six miles east of Winamac on CR 675E."