Bone Lake

Washington County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey

30ft Max
depth

218 acres 6 contours Public access

Paddling Index51Modestsheltered geometry

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Depth scale

051015202530

The lake

Survey readout

Bone Lake is mapped to a depth of 30 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 218 acres in Washington County, Minnesota. Depths come from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1980.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 30 ft
Survey year: 1980
Surface area: 218 acres
Shoreline: 3.03 mi · lobed
Aquatic vegetation: 3% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Trailer Launch · Bone Lake Public Water Access Site · Minnesota DNR site

Additional depth details6 contours

Contour depths: 0–30 ft
Recorded point soundings: 30 ft

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Location

Washington County, Minnesota · 15 nearest of 35 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: 45.28630, -92.86079
MN DNR lake ID: 82005400
Vertical exaggeration: 2.66×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.3 MB

Paddling

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

51 / 100ModestData confidence: High

Bone Lake has a mixed natural and developed 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	Mixed	8.7 of 35	37% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (22% forest, 13% wetland; 31% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Very Good	16.7 of 29	mean fetch 1,141 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	Good	10.3 of 18	some nearby classified roads · 4 MnDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 794 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 3% 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: Limited — 22% forest and 13% 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 2022–2024). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from DNR surveys & active stocking

14 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

Hybrid Sunfish

Golden Shiner

About these fish → the Fish of Minnesota guide

Compiled from Minnesota DNR fishery surveys and Minnesota DNR stockings within the last 10 years. 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 2018

637Fish sampled

14Species

Gamefish Walleye 23 · Northern Pike 16 · Largemouth Bass 4 · Bowfin 3

Panfish Yellow Perch 458 · Black Crappie 59 · Bluegill 53

All survey species14 species

Gamefish

Walleye23 caught · to 24″

Northern Pike16 caught · to 40″

Largemouth Bass4 caught · to 16″

Bowfin3 caught · to 23″

Panfish

Yellow Perch458 caught · to 9″

Black Crappie59 caught · to 10″

Bluegill53 caught · to 8″

Hybrid Sunfish1 caught · to 6″

Pumpkinseed1 caught · to 7″

Bullhead & catfish

Black Bullhead4 caught · to 10″

Yellow Bullhead3 caught · to 14″

Brown Bullhead1 caught · to 14″

Forage & nongame

White Sucker10 caught · to 21″

Golden Shiner1 caught · to 5″

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

DNR stocking

state stocking record · 2016–2025

Fish the Minnesota DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.

Walleye75,743 stocked · 2016–2025 · 15 plantings

Source: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking report. LakeFinder lists the last 10 years of stocking only.

Infested waters listing

2 confirmed

Mussels & snails

Zebra MusselConfirmed in this water in 2019 (listed 2019).

Plants & algae

Eurasian WatermilfoilConfirmed in this water in 2006 (listed 2007).

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

Bone Lake — common questions

How deep is Bone Lake?

The deepest contour on the Minnesota DNR bathymetric survey of Bone Lake is 30 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 Bone Lake?

Bone Lake covers about 218 acres in Washington County, Minnesota.

What fish are in Bone Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill. The page lists all 14 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Bone Lake?

Yes. The Minnesota DNR lists a public access site on Bone Lake: a boat ramp with a boat dock. It is administered by the DNR Division of Parks and Trails. DNR directions: "2.5 mi W of Scandia on Mn Hwy 97, then 3 mi N on Cnty Rd 1, to N shore."

More lakes in Washington County