Bronson Lake

Kittson County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey

25ft Max
depth

312 acres 5 contours Public access

Paddling Index67Mixedsheltered geometry

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Depth scale

0510152025

The lake

Survey readout

Bronson Lake is mapped to a depth of 25 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 312 acres in Kittson County, Minnesota.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 25 ft
Surface area: 312 acres
Shoreline: 7.7 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 6% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Trailer Launch · Lake Bronson (E) Public Water Access Site · Minnesota DNR site · 3 more

Additional depth details5 contours

Contour depths: 0–25 ft
Recorded point soundings: 25 ft

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Location

Kittson County, Minnesota · the only mapped lake in this county

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: 48.72187, -96.61120
MN DNR lake ID: 35000300
Vertical exaggeration: 2.83×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.4 MB

Paddling

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

67 / 100MixedData confidence: High

Bronson 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	20.0 of 35	59% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (20% forest, 38% wetland; 15% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Very Good	21.0 of 29	mean fetch 823 m · 11% 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	4 DNR public access sites · boat ramp · ADA-accessible · fishing pier
Road isolation	Good	10.9 of 18	some nearby classified roads · 3 MnDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 491 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 6% 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 — 20% forest and 38% 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 2017–2023). 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).

Northern Pike

Common Carp

Walleye

Largemouth Bass

White Sucker

Shorthead Redhorse

Tadpole Madtom

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 2022

1,332Fish sampled

14Species

Gamefish Northern Pike 78 · Walleye 55 · Largemouth Bass 4

Panfish Yellow Perch 254 · Black Crappie 163 · Rock Bass 24

All survey species14 species

Gamefish

Northern Pike78 caught · to 30″

Walleye55 caught · to 24″

Largemouth Bass4 caught · to 17″

Panfish

Yellow Perch254 caught · to 10″

Black Crappie163 caught · to 15″

Rock Bass24 caught · to 8″

Pumpkinseed12 caught · to 5″

Bluegill1 caught · to 13″

Bullhead & catfish

Black Bullhead580 caught · to 15″

Brown Bullhead1 caught · to 6″

Forage & nongame

White Sucker132 caught · to 21″

Shorthead Redhorse25 caught · to 19″

Common Carp2 caught · to 25″

Tadpole Madtom1 caught · to 4″

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

DNR stocking

state stocking record · 2016–2022

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

Walleye1,215,000 stocked · 2016–2022 · 5 plantings

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

Infested waters listing

1 confirmed

Mussels & snails

Zebra MusselConfirmed in this water in 2025 (listed 2025).

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

Bronson Lake — common questions

How deep is Bronson Lake?

The deepest contour on the Minnesota DNR bathymetric survey of Bronson Lake is 25 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 Bronson Lake?

Bronson Lake covers about 312 acres in Kittson County, Minnesota.

What fish are in Bronson 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 Bronson Lake?

Yes. The Minnesota DNR lists 4 public access sites on Bronson Lake: Lake Bronson (E) Public Water Access Site (boat ramp); Lake Bronson State Park, East Campground Public Water Access Site (boat ramp); Bronson Fishing Pier (public fishing pier); Bronson Fishing Pier (public fishing pier).