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Shellenbarger Lake

Grayling, Michigan — Crawford County.

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114Surface acres
4.0 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 83976915).

Location & fast facts

Where Shellenbarger Lake is in Michigan

The red circle marks Shellenbarger Lake.

Fast facts

About Shellenbarger Lake

  • County: Crawford
  • Town: Grayling
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 180 mi from Detroit and 127 mi from Grand Rapids and 185 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

  • Swimming. 1 public beach or swim spot on the map (details)
  • Walking. 4.0 mi of trail near the shore (trails)
  • Camping. 24 campgrounds within 15 mi (list)

Watch for

  • No lifeguard listed. None of our sources lists a staffed lifeguard. Swim at your own risk and watch children closely.
  • 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)

19 ftMaximum depth

Source: Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Institute for Fisheries Research inland lake deepest-point data (lake 20-31). Lake depth maps are on the DNR inland lake maps page.

Lake map

Shellenbarger Lake shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Beach Area (Beach)1¼ mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

BeachShoreline trail
  1. 1Beach Area
    Beach

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 83976915), 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

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

OpenStreetMap shows about 4.0 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Shellenbarger Lake shoreline. Together the trails go all or nearly all the way around Shellenbarger Lake, staying close to the water.

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 100 m of the USGS NHD lake outline.

Campgrounds near Shellenbarger Lake

We found 24 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Shellenbarger Lake, 6 of them within 5 miles. 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 (44.6508, -84.6805). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Shellenbarger 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 Shellenbarger 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.

    Public beaches

    On OpenStreetMap: 1 beach or swimming spot on the shore of Shellenbarger Lake not marked private, residents-only or members-only.

    BeachTypeAccessDirections
    Beach AreaBeachAccess not tagged; check posted rulesGet directions

    Beaches: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), within about 150 m (500 ft) of the lake outline. A mapped beach is not a guarantee that swimming is allowed, supervised or safe; some town beaches need a resident sticker even when the map doesn't say so. Check posted rules and water-quality advisories before you swim.

    Contact & official info

    Questions about Shellenbarger Lake

    How big is Shellenbarger Lake?

    Shellenbarger Lake covers about 114 acres in Grayling, Michigan (Crawford County).

    How deep is Shellenbarger Lake?

    The maximum recorded depth is 19 feet, according to the Michigan DNR stocking and lake depth records.

    Can you swim in Shellenbarger Lake?

    OpenStreetMap shows 1 public beach or swimming spot on the shore. None of our sources lists a lifeguard, so swim at your own risk and follow posted rules.

    Are there campgrounds near Shellenbarger Lake?

    Yes. We list 24 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 6 of them within 5 miles.

    What towns are on Shellenbarger Lake?

    Shellenbarger Lake touches Grayling in Crawford County, Michigan.

    Share a tip or fishing report

    Know Shellenbarger 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 Grayling