Blackwell Lake

Douglas County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey

40ft Max
depth

307 acres 8 contours Public access

Paddling Index65Mixedsheltered geometry · carry-in access

Get directions

Depth scale

0510152025303540

The lake

Survey readout

Blackwell Lake is mapped to a depth of 40 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 307 acres in Douglas County, Minnesota. Depths come from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1955.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 40 ft
Survey year: 1955
Surface area: 307 acres
Shoreline: 5.27 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 2% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Trailer Launch · Blackwell Lake (S) Public Water Access Site · Minnesota DNR site · 1 more

Additional depth details8 contours

Contour depths: 0–40 ft
Recorded point soundings: 40 ft

Compare with another lake

Location

Douglas County, Minnesota · 15 nearest of 53 lakes · tap a dot for that lake

Chart data

Provenance

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

⚠ Not for navigation

Spot an error? Send a correction

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: 45.82588, -95.55483
MN DNR lake ID: 21015100
Vertical exaggeration: 2.32×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.2 MB

Paddling

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

65 / 100MixedData confidence: High

Blackwell Lake has a partly natural setting, generally sheltered geometry, some nearby classified roads.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

Component	Rating	Points of weight	Measurement
Natural setting	Good	18.6 of 35	61% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (51% forest, 1% wetland; 20% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Very Good	18.6 of 29	mean fetch 988 m · 4% 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	Excellent	17.6 of 18	2 DNR public access sites · carry-in or canoe launch · boat ramp
Road isolation	Good	10.7 of 18	some nearby classified roads · 9 MnDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 4,150 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 2% 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: Moderate — 51% forest and 1% 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 2020–2025). 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).

White Sucker

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 2020

246Fish sampled

8Species

Gamefish Northern Pike 56 · Largemouth Bass 11 · Walleye 4

Panfish Bluegill 119 · Pumpkinseed 11 · Black Crappie 10

All survey species8 species

Gamefish

Northern Pike56 caught · to 33″

Largemouth Bass11 caught · to 17″

Walleye4 caught · to 19″

Panfish

Bluegill119 caught · to 8″

Pumpkinseed11 caught · to 7″

Black Crappie10 caught · to 12″

Bullhead & catfish

Yellow Bullhead33 caught · to 13″

Forage & nongame

White Sucker2 caught · to 17″

Length is the largest fish netted in the survey, not an angler record. Source: Minnesota DNR lake survey (LakeFinder).

Infested waters listing

1 confirmed

Mussels & snails

Zebra MusselConfirmed in this water in 2021 (listed 2021).

How to identify invasive species in Minnesota lakes →

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

Blackwell Lake — common questions

How deep is Blackwell Lake?

The deepest contour on the Minnesota DNR bathymetric survey of Blackwell Lake is 40 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 Blackwell Lake?

Blackwell Lake covers about 307 acres in Douglas County, Minnesota.

What fish are in Blackwell Lake?

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

Is there public access to Blackwell Lake?

Yes. The Minnesota DNR lists 2 public access sites on Blackwell Lake: Blackwell Lake (S) Public Water Access Site (boat ramp); Blackwell Lake (N) Public Water Access Site (carry-in launch).

More lakes in Douglas County