Blackface Lake

Aitkin County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey

15ft Max
depth

192 acres 3 contours Public access

Paddling Index81Very Goodaway from major roads · sheltered geometry · wooded shoreline

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Depth scale

051015

The lake

Survey readout

Blackface Lake is mapped to a depth of 15 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 192 acres in Aitkin County, Minnesota. Depths come from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1964.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 15 ft
Survey year: 1964
Surface area: 192 acres
Shoreline: 3.22 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 1% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Trailer Launch · Blackface Lake Public Water Access Site · Minnesota DNR site

Additional depth details3 contours

Contour depths: 0–15 ft
Recorded point soundings: 15 ft

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Location

Aitkin County, Minnesota · 15 nearest of 45 lakes · tap a dot for that lake

Chart data

Provenance

Sources: MN DNR Lake Bathymetric Contours, USGS 3DEP, USDA NAIP (public domain), OpenStreetMap (ODbL).

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Map details & sources4 sources

All layers registered to one bounding box; positions in WGS 84.

Survey-derived depth contours drape over USGS 3DEP elevation, with a USDA NAIP aerial basemap and OpenStreetMap shoreline. Color shows surveyed depth; dark lines are the survey's own isobaths.

Coordinates: 46.92871, -93.24660
MN DNR lake ID: 01004500
Vertical exaggeration: 3.0×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.3 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-25

81 / 100Very GoodData confidence: High

Blackface Lake has a mostly natural, lightly developed setting, generally sheltered geometry, little nearby major-road exposure.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

Component	Rating	Points of weight	Measurement
Natural setting	Very Good	28.1 of 35	81% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (48% forest, 32% wetland; 12% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Very Good	19.8 of 29	mean fetch 882 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · generally short fetch
Motor & speed rules	Not modeled	—	Minnesota’s lake-by-lake motor, speed and no-wake rules are mostly county and city ordinances, not map data, so they are not part of the Minnesota index. Check local signage and ordinances before going out.
Public access	Good	15.0 of 18	1 DNR public access site · boat ramp
Road isolation	Excellent	17.6 of 18	relatively isolated from major roads · 1 MnDOT-classified segment within 1.2 km, peak 37 vehicles/day

Additional paddling considerations

These describe the lake but are not part of the v1 Paddling Index and do not change the number above.

Wake sensitivity: Low — wide enough that wakes disperse over most of the lake
Aquatic vegetation: Low — approximately 1% mapped coverage · NAIP aerial imagery (NDVI)
Observed motorized activity: Unknown — No lake-level measurement of boat traffic is available. Legal permission to operate motors is not evidence of use.
Wildlife habitat potential: High — 48% forest and 32% wetland cover within 150 m of shore

Compare Minnesota lakes by Paddling Index →

How this index is calculated. The Paddling Index is a relative composite derived from lake geometry and public land-cover, access and traffic-count data. It is not a user review, a safety rating, or a prediction of an individual outing. Differences of a few points should not be treated as meaningful — an 84 and an 82 are broadly comparable. Components and weights for Minnesota lakes: natural setting 35%, geometric wind exposure 29%, public access 18%, road isolation 18%. Motor, speed and no-wake rules are not modeled for Minnesota, and traffic counts cover state, county and some city roads but not township roads. Where a component has no data the remaining weights are renormalized and the confidence rating is lowered; below Medium confidence no number is shown. Minnesota scores are relative to other Minnesota lakes and are not directly comparable with Paddling Index scores on our sister sites, which use different data sources, some with a watercraft-rules component. Sources: MN DNR lake bathymetry outline, USGS/MRLC NLCD Land Cover (2021), MN DNR Water Access Sites and Fishing Piers & Shore Fishing Sites (2026-09) and MnDOT Annual Average Daily Traffic (counts 2021). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from DNR surveys

8 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colors, not photographs (provenance).

Golden Shiner

About these fish → the Fish of Minnesota guide

Compiled from Minnesota DNR fishery surveys. Silhouettes are stylized and scaled to typical adult sizes relative to one another. Presence is not a promise — fishing isn’t a sure thing.

Fishery

surveyed 1986

596Fish sampled

8Species

Gamefish Northern Pike 35 · Largemouth Bass 3

Panfish Yellow Perch 73 · Pumpkinseed 39 · Bluegill 3

All survey species8 species

Gamefish

Northern Pike35 caught

Largemouth Bass3 caught

Panfish

Yellow Perch73 caught

Pumpkinseed39 caught

Bluegill3 caught

Bullhead & catfish

Black Bullhead237 caught

Brown Bullhead205 caught

Forage & nongame

Golden Shiner1 caught

This survey reported catch counts without lengths. Source: Minnesota DNR lake survey (LakeFinder).

Infested waters listing

Not on the Minnesota DNR’s infested waters list as of September 9, 2026. This does not mean the lake is free of invasive species: the list covers certain species only, and a species can be present before anyone finds it.

What does the infested waters list mean?

The Minnesota DNR lists a lake, river, pond or wetland as infested when it contains an aquatic invasive species that could spread to other waters, or when it is connected to a water where one is present. Activities such as bait harvest and water use are managed differently on infested waters. Check the current list before moving water, bait or equipment.

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. List of Infested Waters, September 9, 2026. https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/ais/infested.html

Quick answers

Blackface Lake — common questions

How deep is Blackface Lake?

The deepest contour on the Minnesota DNR bathymetric survey of Blackface Lake is 15 ft. That is the deepest depth the historical survey map records, which may differ from the deepest point of the lake itself.

How big is Blackface Lake?

Blackface Lake covers about 192 acres in Aitkin County, Minnesota.

What fish are in Blackface Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, northern pike, black bullhead, bluegill, brown bullhead, pumpkinseed. The page lists all 8 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Blackface Lake?

Yes. The Minnesota DNR lists a public access site on Blackface Lake: a boat ramp. It is administered by the DNR Division of Parks and Trails. DNR directions: "From State Hwy 65 follow CR 65 east for 2.3 miles to the access."

More lakes in Aitkin County

Cedar Lake (Main Basin)