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Colwell Lake

Inwood, Michigan — Schoolcraft County.

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128Surface acres
1Public access sites
2.0 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 44364574).

Location & fast facts

Where Colwell Lake is in Michigan

The red circle marks Colwell Lake.

Fast facts

About Colwell Lake

  • County: Schoolcraft
  • Town: Inwood
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 317 mi from Detroit and 228 mi from Grand Rapids and 51 mi from Marquette, straight-line (not driving distance)

Towns and counties: U.S. Census Bureau boundaries overlaid on the USGS lake outline.

Fishing in Michigan

Official Michigan DNR pages. Rules and fees change; check before you go.

Good for & watch for

Good for

  • Paddling. 1 public access site, no trailer ramp listed
  • Walking. 2.0 mi of trail near the shore (trails)
  • Camping. 35 campgrounds within 15 mi, 1 on the shore (list)

Watch for

  • Cold water. Water stays cold well into late spring and turns cold again in fall. Wear a life jacket when paddling in the shoulder seasons.

Built only from the data on this page: official access lists, OpenStreetMap beaches and trails, campground listings, state and USGS invasive-species records. We don't rate crowds or water quality.

Official lake data (Michigan DNR)

25 ftMaximum depth

Source: Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Institute for Fisheries Research inland lake deepest-point data (lake 75-423). Lake depth maps are on the DNR inland lake maps page.

Lake map

Colwell Lake shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Colwell Lake Campground (campground)Colwell Lake boating access site (Boat launch)1¼ mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchShoreline trail Campground
  1. 1Colwell Lake boating access site
    Boat launch · Inwood

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 44364574), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: Michigan DNR boating access sites. Dashed trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.

Shoreline trails

2.0 miTrail within 100 m of shore
About 100%Of the shoreline
YesLoops the whole lake

OpenStreetMap shows about 2.0 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Colwell Lake shoreline. Together the trails go all or nearly all the way around Colwell Lake, staying close to the water.

Trails along the shore

Getting to the trails

No trailhead is mapped for these trails. The closest public access site is Colwell Lake boating access site, 100 ft from a shoreline trail (Michigan DNR boating access data).

The dashed brown line on the lake map shows these trails. We include paths, footways and marked trails that OpenStreetMap doesn't mark as private, and leave out roads, sidewalks and snowmobile corridors. Mapped trails can still cross private land or close for the season, and not every trail is mapped, so follow posted signs.

Trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). Map data as of Oct 9, 2026. Trail lengths count only the parts within about 100 m of the USGS NHD lake outline.

Campgrounds near Colwell Lake

We found 35 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Colwell Lake, 9 of them within 5 miles. 1 is right on the shore. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

14 more within 15 miles

All campgrounds & RV parks in Michigan

Green tent icons on the lake map mark campgrounds near the shore, and the interactive map shows the closest 12. Amenities are listed only where a source records them; call or check the campground's website before you go, since seasons and rates change every year.

Campground data: Recreation.gov (RIDB) · OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Pulled Oct 12, 2026.

Conditions right now

Air temperature & conditions (nearest NWS station)Loading…
Fetching the latest National Weather Service observation…

Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (46.2234, -86.4416). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Colwell Lake. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.

Sun, moon & best fishing times

Sun & moon at Colwell Lake

Best fishing times

Major periodMinor periodDaylight

    Based on solunar theory, an estimate. Major periods (about 2 hours) center on when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot; minor periods (about 1 hour) center on moonrise and moonset. The 0–100 activity score rises during those periods and gets a boost near sunrise and sunset and around the new and full moon. Weather, water temperature and pressure often matter more. Sun and moon times are calculated in your browser from the lake's coordinates with standard astronomy formulas, shown in ET (America/Detroit), and accurate to within a few minutes.

    Boat launches & access sites

    1 public access site listed, 1 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Colwell Lake boating access siteInwood—Boat launch · Yes ramp——Boating46.2243, -86.4365

    Michigan DNR boating access sites

    Fees, hours and rules change; confirm with the site owner before you go.

    Contact & official info

    Questions about Colwell Lake

    How big is Colwell Lake?

    Colwell Lake covers about 128 acres in Inwood, Michigan (Schoolcraft County).

    How deep is Colwell Lake?

    The maximum recorded depth is 25 feet, according to the Michigan DNR stocking and lake depth records.

    Is there a public boat launch on Colwell Lake?

    No trailer ramp is listed, but there is 1 public access site for car-top boats or shore access.

    Are there campgrounds near Colwell Lake?

    Yes. We list 35 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 9 of them within 5 miles.

    What towns are on Colwell Lake?

    Colwell Lake touches Inwood in Schoolcraft County, Michigan.

    Share a tip or fishing report

    Know Colwell Lake? Tell us about the launch, parking, where they're biting or anything a first-time visitor should know. Tips go privately to the LakeRipple editor; nothing is posted automatically. Helpful tips may be featured on this page (we'll use your first name only if you give one).

    Lakes & ponds nearby

    Straight-line distance between lake centers. All Michigan lakes & ponds · All waters in Inwood