Minnesota Lake Depths
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East Toqua Lake

Big Stone County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey
7ft Max
depth
436 acres 2 contours Public access
Paddling Index39Modest
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Depth scale

The lake

Survey readout

East Toqua Lake is mapped to a depth of 7 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 436 acres in Big Stone County, Minnesota. Depths come from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1985.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour
7 ft
Survey year
1985
Surface area
436 acres
Shoreline
3.07 mi · round
Aquatic vegetation
0% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access
Trailer Launch · East Toqua Lake (E) Public Water Access Site · Minnesota DNR site · 1 more
Additional depth details2 contours
Contour depths
0–7 ft
Recorded point soundings
7 ft
Compare with another lake
Location
Big Stone County, Minnesota · all 4 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
45.56135, -96.44353
MN DNR lake ID
06013800
Basemap
USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size
2.0 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-25
39 / 100ModestData confidence: High

East Toqua Lake has a substantially developed setting, moderate open-water exposure, nearby higher-volume roads.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

ComponentRatingPoints of weightMeasurement
Natural settingModest1.9 of 3527% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (1% forest, 23% wetland; 43% developed)
Geometric wind exposureGood15.3 of 29mean fetch 1,280 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · moderate open-water fetch
Motor & speed rulesNot 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 accessGood15.0 of 182 DNR public access sites · boat ramp
Road isolationMixed6.3 of 18nearby higher-volume roads · 17 MnDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 1,482 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
Limited — 1% forest and 23% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
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 2016–2025). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from DNR surveys & active stocking

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

Common Carp
Bigmouth Buffalo
White Sucker
Sunfish
Fathead Minnow
Johnny Darter
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 2017
2,239Fish sampled
13Species

Gamefish Walleye 139 · Northern Pike 7

Panfish Black Crappie 440 · Yellow Perch 140 · Bluegill 1

All survey species13 species

Gamefish

Walleye139 caught · to 27″
Northern Pike7 caught · to 38″

Panfish

Black Crappie440 caught · to 12″
Yellow Perch140 caught · to 11″
Bluegill1 caught · to 8″

Bullhead & catfish

Black Bullhead29 caught · to 12″
Yellow Bullhead16 caught · to 11″

Forage & nongame

Common Carp1,266 caught · to 31″
Fathead Minnow125 caught
White Sucker38 caught · to 19″
Sunfish32 caught · to 4″
Bigmouth Buffalo5 caught · to 19″
Johnny Darter1 caught
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.

Walleye1,732,031 stocked · 2016–2025 · 16 plantings
Northern Pike1,102 stocked · 2018–2024 · 4 plantings
Black Crappie97 stocked · 2024
Yellow Perch7,450 stocked · 2016–2023 · 2 plantings
Source: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking report. LakeFinder lists the last 10 years of stocking only.

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

East Toqua Lake — common questions

How deep is East Toqua Lake?

The deepest contour on the Minnesota DNR bathymetric survey of East Toqua Lake is 7 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 East Toqua Lake?

East Toqua Lake covers about 436 acres in Big Stone County, Minnesota.

What fish are in East Toqua Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include northern pike, walleye, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, sunfish. The page lists all 13 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to East Toqua Lake?

Yes. The Minnesota DNR lists 2 public access sites on East Toqua Lake: East Toqua Lake (E) Public Water Access Site (boat ramp); East Toqua Lake, North Public Water Access Site (boat ramp).