Crooked Lake (East Bay)

Lake County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey

15ft Max
depth

172 acres 3 contours Public access

Paddling Index83Very Goodaway from major roads · wooded shoreline · sheltered geometry

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Depth scale

051015

The lake

Survey readout

Crooked Lake (East Bay) is mapped to a depth of 15 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 172 acres in Lake County, Minnesota. Depths come from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1977.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 15 ft
Survey year: 1977
Surface area: 172 acres
Shoreline: 6.41 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 0% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Trailer Launch · Crooked 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

Lake County, Minnesota · 15 nearest of 51 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: 47.60257, -91.07666
MN DNR lake ID: 38002401
Vertical exaggeration: 3.0×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.3 MB

Paddling

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

83 / 100Very GoodData confidence: High

Crooked Lake (East Bay) has a heavily wooded and largely undeveloped 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	Excellent	30.3 of 35	87% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (83% forest, 3% wetland; 3% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Very Good	21.4 of 29	mean fetch 806 m · 16% 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	16.3 of 18	relatively isolated from major roads · 1 MnDOT-classified segment within 1.2 km, peak 98 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 0% 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 — 83% forest and 3% 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 2025). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from DNR surveys & active stocking

5 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 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 2024

319Fish sampled

5Species

Gamefish

Walleye92 caught · to 24″

Smallmouth Bass45 caught · to 17″

Northern Pike44 caught · to 37″

Panfish

Yellow Perch78 caught · to 9″

Forage & nongame

White Sucker60 caught · to 22″

Length is the largest fish netted in the survey, not an angler record. Source: Minnesota DNR lake survey of the whole lake (DOW 38002400), which includes this basin (LakeFinder).

DNR stocking

state stocking record · 2018–2023

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

Walleye19,474 stocked · 2018–2023 · 4 plantings

Source: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking report for the whole lake (DOW 38002400). LakeFinder lists the last 10 years of stocking only.

Infested waters listing

1 confirmed

Mussels & snails

Zebra MusselConfirmed in this water in 2014 (listed 2014).

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

Crooked Lake (East Bay) — common questions

How deep is Crooked Lake (East Bay)?

The deepest contour on the Minnesota DNR bathymetric survey of Crooked Lake (East Bay) 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 Crooked Lake (East Bay)?

Crooked Lake (East Bay) covers about 172 acres in Lake County, Minnesota.

What fish are in Crooked Lake (East Bay)?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include northern pike, smallmouth bass, walleye, yellow perch, white sucker. The page shows the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Crooked Lake (East Bay)?

Yes. The Minnesota DNR lists a public access site on Crooked Lake (East Bay): a boat ramp with restrooms. It is administered by the U.S. Forest Service. DNR directions: "Approximately 20 mi N of Finland on Cnty Rd 7 to N shore."

More lakes in Lake County