US lakes & ponds
Michigan › Oakland County › Waterford › Crescent Lake

Crescent Lake

Waterford, Michigan — Oakland County.

Share:TextEmailFacebookX
96Surface acres
3Public access sites
0.8 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 146647133).

Location & fast facts

Where Crescent Lake is in Michigan

The red circle marks Crescent Lake.

Fast facts

About Crescent Lake

  • County: Oakland
  • Town: Waterford
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 28 mi from Detroit and 118 mi from Grand Rapids and 334 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

  • Boating. 2 public trailer launches listed (see access)
  • Fishing. Walleye
  • Walking. 0.8 mi of trail near the shore (trails)
  • Camping. 14 campgrounds within 15 mi (list)

Watch for

  • Non-native/invasive species. Zebra mussel recorded. Clean, drain and dry your boat and gear.
  • Boat traffic. A public trailer launch means motorboats share the water; expect more traffic on summer weekends.
  • 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)

40 ftMaximum depth

Fish species stocked here by the Michigan DNR since 2010: Walleye.

Stocked: 2010–2025, 8 years; 53,786 fish in all, fry included

Source: Michigan Department of Natural Resources: Fish Stocking Database (records for Crescent Lake, Oakland County, since 2010) and the DNR Institute for Fisheries Research inland lake deepest-point data. These are stocking records, not a full fish survey; other species also live here.

Lake map

Crescent Lake shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Boat ramp (Boat launch)1Boat ramp (Boat launch)2Crescent Lake boating access site (Boat launch)3¼ mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchShoreline trail
  1. 1Boat ramp
    Boat launch · Waterford
  2. 2Boat ramp
    Boat launch · Waterford
  3. 3Crescent Lake boating access site
    Boat launch · Waterford

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 146647133), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: Michigan DNR boating access sites and OpenStreetMap boat ramps (ODbL). Dashed trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.

Shoreline trails

0.8 miTrail within 100 m of shore
About 35%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
North and south shoresWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 0.8 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Crescent Lake shoreline, mostly along the north and south shores.

Trails along the shore

Getting to the trails

No trailhead is mapped for these trails. The closest public access site is Crescent Lake boating access site, right on 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 Crescent Lake

We found 14 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Crescent Lake, 1 of them within 5 miles. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

8 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: 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 (42.6420, -83.3853). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Crescent 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 Crescent 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

    3 public access sites listed, 3 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Boat rampWaterford—Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating42.6401, -83.3867
    Boat rampWaterford—Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating42.6440, -83.3917
    Crescent Lake boating access siteWaterfordMichigan DNRBoat launch · Yes ramp——Boating42.6467, -83.3901

    Michigan DNR boating access sites and OpenStreetMap boat ramps (ODbL)

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

    Non-native/invasive species

    Reported on or near Crescent Lake

    Clean, Drain, Dry. Remove plants and mud, drain all water, and dry your boat, trailer and gear before moving to another water.

    USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database

    USGS records matched to this water by location (within about 150 m of the outline) or by the place name in the record. A record shows a sighting was reported; it doesn't prove the species is still there. As of Oct 10, 2026.

    Contact & official info

    Questions about Crescent Lake

    How big is Crescent Lake?

    Crescent Lake covers about 96 acres in Waterford, Michigan (Oakland County).

    How deep is Crescent Lake?

    The maximum recorded depth is 40 feet, according to the Michigan DNR stocking and lake depth records.

    What fish are in Crescent Lake?

    Michigan DNR stocking and lake depth records lists Walleye.

    Is there a public boat launch on Crescent Lake?

    Yes. 2 public trailer launches are listed: Boat ramp and Boat ramp. Check posted fees and parking rules.

    Are there campgrounds near Crescent Lake?

    Yes. We list 14 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 1 of them within 5 miles.

    What towns are on Crescent Lake?

    Crescent Lake touches Waterford in Oakland County, Michigan.

    Share a tip or fishing report

    Know Crescent 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 Waterford