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Elkhorn Lake

Orion, Michigan — Oakland County.

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44Surface acres
0.3 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 146646592).

Location & fast facts

Where Elkhorn Lake is in Michigan

The red circle marks Elkhorn Lake.

Fast facts

About Elkhorn Lake

  • County: Oakland
  • Town: Orion
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 32 mi from Detroit and 122 mi from Grand Rapids and 330 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

  • Walking. 0.3 mi of trail near the shore (trails)
  • Camping. 12 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)

33 ftMaximum depth

Source: Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Institute for Fisheries Research inland lake deepest-point data (lake 63-1247). Lake depth maps are on the DNR inland lake maps page.

Lake map

Elkhorn Lake shoreline

0.1 mileN

No public access sites are listed for this water in the Michigan DNR boating access sites data.

Shoreline trail

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 146646592), 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

0.3 miTrail within 80 m of shore
About 15%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
South shoreWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 0.3 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 80 m (260 ft) of the Elkhorn Lake shoreline, mostly along the south shore.

Trails along the shore

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 80 m of the USGS NHD lake outline.

Campgrounds near Elkhorn Lake

We found 12 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Elkhorn Lake, 1 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.

6 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 (42.7684, -83.2694). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Elkhorn 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 Elkhorn 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.

    Contact & official info

    Questions about Elkhorn Lake

    How big is Elkhorn Lake?

    Elkhorn Lake covers about 44 acres in Orion, Michigan (Oakland County).

    How deep is Elkhorn Lake?

    The maximum recorded depth is 33 feet, according to the Michigan DNR stocking and lake depth records.

    Are there campgrounds near Elkhorn Lake?

    Yes. We list 12 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 1 of them within 5 miles.

    What towns are on Elkhorn Lake?

    Elkhorn Lake touches Orion in Oakland County, Michigan.

    Share a tip or fishing report

    Know Elkhorn 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 Orion