Spring Mill Lake

Lawrence County, Indiana · IN DNR bathymetric survey

10ft Max
depth

21 acres 5 contours Public access

Paddling Index90Excellentelectric motors only · sheltered geometry · wooded shoreline

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Depth scale

0246810

The lake

Survey readout

Spring Mill Lake is mapped to a depth of 10 ft on the Indiana DNR survey and covers about 21 acres in Lawrence County, Indiana.

Measured from the Indiana DNR lake bathymetry survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 10 ft
Surface area: 21 acres
Shoreline: 1.09 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 15% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Carry Down · Spring Mill Park Lake · Indiana DNR site

Additional depth details5 contours

Contour depths: 0–10 ft
Recorded point soundings: 10 ft, 6 ft

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Location

Lawrence County, Indiana · the only mapped lake in this county

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: 38.73851, -86.41283
IN DNR lake ID: 53454933
Vertical exaggeration: 3.0× below the waterline; land at true scale
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 1.3 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-21

90 / 100ExcellentData confidence: High

Spring Mill Lake has a heavily wooded and largely undeveloped setting, well sheltered geometry, limited nearby major-road exposure. Watercraft controls: Electric motors only.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

Component	Rating	Points of weight	Measurement
Natural setting	Excellent	24.3 of 30	84% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (84% forest, 0% wetland; 11% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Excellent	25.0 of 25	mean fetch 291 m · 100% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · short fetch in most directions
Watercraft controls	Electric motors only	14.2 of 15	Electric motors only
Public access	Excellent	15.0 of 15	1 DNR fishing access site · carry-in or canoe launch · fishing pier
Road isolation	Very Good	11.1 of 15	limited nearby major-road exposure · 5 INDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 450 vehicles/day

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: Moderate — narrow in places — wakes would carry across parts of the lake
Aquatic vegetation: Moderate — approximately 15% 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: Moderate — 84% forest and 0% wetland cover within 150 m of shore

Compare Indiana lakes by Paddling Index →

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.

Non-native species records

No non-native species recorded in the available dataset. This does not confirm that no non-native species are present.

Source: Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership Conservation Planner; underlying nonindigenous species records from the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database.

Quick answers

Spring Mill Lake — common questions

How deep is Spring Mill Lake?

The deepest contour on the Indiana DNR bathymetric survey of Spring Mill Lake is 10 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 Spring Mill Lake?

Spring Mill Lake covers about 21 acres in Lawrence County, Indiana.

Is there public access to Spring Mill Lake?

Yes. The Indiana DNR lists a public access site on Spring Mill Lake: a carry-in launch with a fishing pier, a boat dock and restrooms. The DNR notes that an entry fee and a lake permit are required. DNR directions: "At Spring Mill State Park near Mitchell."