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Protecting Northern Michigan's ​Water Resources

Paradise Lake (Carp Lake)

Paradise Lake, formerly known as Carp Lake, is a large, shallow drainage lake in northern Emmet County. The tannin-stained water of the lake is dark in color, yet high quality. The lake supports a vibrant fishery, including large predatory pike inhabiting its depths.

1,947 acres

OF SURFACE AREA

9.7 miles

OF SHORELINE

18 feet

MAX DEPTH

Overview of Paradise Lake (Carp Lake)

Primary Inflows

Headwaters

Primary Outflows

Surface Area

1,947 acres

Shoreline

9.7 miles

Maximum Depth

18 feet

Known Aquatic Invasive Species

Description:

Paradise Lake, formerly known as Carp Lake, is a large, shallow drainage lake in northern Emmet County. The tannin-stained water of the lake is dark in color, yet high quality. The lake supports a vibrant fishery, including large predatory pike inhabiting its depths. 

Paradise Lake is approximately 3 miles long, gradually widening from east to west with two distinct lobes on the western end split by Stony Point. Another prominent point, Ashbaugh Point, is located on the western end of the northern shore. The area to the west of this point is referred to as Carlton Cove. The lake is fed by Mud Creek, which stretches about 8 miles to the east. Paradise Lake drains through the Carp River into Lake Michigan at Cecil Bay, which is just east of Wilderness State Park.

The majority of the Paradise Lake is less than 10 feet deep. The deepest spot is located in a narrow, long trough that extends east to west along the northern half of the lake across most of the lake. A shallow plateau of five feet of depth and less is found in the center of the lake.

Paradise Lake is a popular lake for recreation enthusiasts, including paddlers, fishermen, boaters and swimmers. The town of Carp Lake rests alongside US-31 on the western shore of the lake. Numerous Little Traverse Conservancy preserves exist along Paradise Lake’s southern shore.

Public Access Sites:

A Department of Natural Resources boat launch is situated near the center of the west shore of the lake. In 2013, a boat washing station was installed at this site by the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, working in cooperation with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and the Paradise Lake Improvement Board. The project was funded with the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. When used, the boat washing station will help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species from one lake to another. 

Paradise Lake boat washing station.

Monitoring and Research:

Paradise Lake is monitored every three years through the Watershed Council’s Comprehensive Water Quality Monitoring (CWQM) Program for dissolved oxygen, specific conductivity, pH, nitrate-nitrogen, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and chloride levels.

Water transparency, chlorophyll-a, and water temperature are also monitored in Paradise Lake each summer by volunteers as part of the Watershed Council’s Volunteer Lake Monitoring (VLM) Program.

Additional Resources:

See additional resources on our Aquavist page.

View an interactive map, including public access sites, at Michigan Fishweb.

A wide variety of maps for this area are available online at the Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI) Data Resources page.

Information about Threatened, Endangered, and Special Concern species in this lake’s watershed is available on the Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI) website.

Learn about safely eating fish from this lake in the Michigan Fish Consumption Advisory.

TitleCategoriesLinkhf:doc_categories
Comprehensive Water Quality Monitoring (CWQM)Bass Lake, Beals Lake, Bear River, Ben-Way Lake, Birch Lake, Black Lake, Black Lake Watershed, Black River, Boyne River, Burt Lake, Burt Lake Watershed, Carp River Watershed, Cheboygan River, Cheboygan River Watershed, Clam Lake, Crooked Lake, Crooked River, Deer Lake, Douglas Lake, Duncan-Grass Bay Watershed, Elk Lake, Elk River, Elk River Chain Of Lakes, Elk River Chain of Lakes Watershed, Ellsworth Lake, Grand Traverse Bay Watershed, Hanley Lake, Huffman Lake, Intermediate Lake, Lake Bellaire, Lake Charlevoix, Lake Charlevoix Watershed, Lancaster Lake, Larks Lake, Little Traverse Bay Watershed, Long Lake, Marion Lake, Mud Lake, Mullett Lake, Mullett Lake Watershed, Munro Lake, Nowland Lake, Paradise Lake, Pickerel-Crooked Lakes Watershed, Round Lake, Scotts Lake, Silver Lake, Six Mile Lake, Skegemog Lake, Spring Lake, St. Clair Lake, Susan Lake, Thayer Lake, Thumb Lake, Torch Lake, Twin Lake, Walloon Lake, Walloon Lake Watershed, Wildwood Lake, Wilson Lakebass-lake beals-lake bear-river ben-way-lake birch-lake black-lake black-lake-watershed black-river boyne-river burt burt-lake-watershed carp-river-watershed cheboygan-river-rivers-streams cheboygan-river-watershed clam-lake crooked-lake crooked-river deer-lake douglas-lake duncan-grass-bay-watershed elk-lake elk-river elk-river-chain-of-lakes elk-river-chain-of-lakes-watershed ellsworth-lake grand-traverse-bay-watershed hanley-lake huffman-lake intermediate-lake lake-bellaire lake-charlevoix lake-charlevoix-watershed lancaster-lake larks-lake little-traverse-bay-watershed long-lake marion-lake mud-lake mullett-lake mullett-lake-watershed munro-lake nowland-lake paradise-lake pickerel-crooked-lakes-watershed round-lake scotts-lake silver-lake six-mile-lake skegemog-lake spring-lake st-clair-lake susan-lake thayer-lake thumb-lake torch-lake twin-lake walloon-lake walloon-lake-watershed wildwood-lake wilson-lake inland-lakes rivers-streams watersheds
2012 Lakes at the Top of the Lower Peninsula Profile CWQMComprehensive Water Quality Monitoring, Douglas Lake, Lancaster Lake, Munro Lake, Paradise Lakecomprehensive-water-quality-monitoring douglas-lake lancaster-lake munro-lake paradise-lake inland-lakes
2009 Paradise Lake Profile CWQMComprehensive Water Quality Monitoring, Paradise Lakecomprehensive-water-quality-monitoring paradise-lake inland-lakes
2008 Paradise Lake Aquatic Plant SurveyAquatic Plant Surveys, Paradise Lakeaquatic-plant-surveys paradise-lake inland-lakes

Paradise Lake Association
Paradise Lake Association
Our mission is to promote community preservation and conservation efforts to ensure the healthy future of Paradise Lake and its surrounding watershed.
PO Box 2, Carp Lake, Michigan, 49718

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