Elk Lake

Sherburne County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey

15ft Max
depth

361 acres 3 contours Public access

Paddling Index47Modest

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Depth scale

051015

The lake

Survey readout

Elk Lake is mapped to a depth of 15 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 361 acres in Sherburne County, Minnesota. Depths come from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1991.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 15 ft
Survey year: 1991
Surface area: 361 acres
Shoreline: 5.59 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 1% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Trailer Launch · Little Elk 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

Sherburne County, Minnesota · 15 nearest of 24 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: 45.48748, -93.62622
MN DNR lake ID: 71005500
Vertical exaggeration: 3.0×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.4 MB

Paddling

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

47 / 100ModestData confidence: High

Elk Lake has a mixed natural and developed setting, moderate open-water exposure, nearby higher-volume roads.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

Component	Rating	Points of weight	Measurement
Natural setting	Mixed	11.5 of 35	48% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (24% forest, 24% wetland; 40% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Good	14.4 of 29	mean fetch 1,379 m · 2% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · moderate open-water 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	Mixed	6.0 of 18	nearby higher-volume roads · 9 MnDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 3,705 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 1% 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 — 24% forest and 24% 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 2014–2023). 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).

Common Carp

White Sucker

Golden Shiner

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 2017

1,364Fish sampled

14Species

Gamefish Largemouth Bass 69 · Northern Pike 51 · Walleye 41 · Bowfin 10

Panfish Black Crappie 742 · Bluegill 240 · Yellow Perch 15

All survey species14 species

Gamefish

Largemouth Bass69 caught · to 19″

Northern Pike51 caught · to 31″

Walleye41 caught · to 26″

Bowfin10 caught · to 24″

Panfish

Black Crappie742 caught · to 12″

Bluegill240 caught · to 9″

Yellow Perch15 caught · to 7″

Pumpkinseed3 caught · to 5″

Bullhead & catfish

Black Bullhead106 caught · to 12″

Yellow Bullhead47 caught · to 13″

Forage & nongame

White Sucker31 caught · to 18″

Golden Shiner5 caught · to 7″

Common Carp3 caught · to 29″

Shiner1 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 · 2018–2024

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

Walleye20,842 stocked · 2018–2024 · 7 plantings

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

Infested waters listing

1 confirmed

Plants & algae

Eurasian WatermilfoilConfirmed in this water in 2002 (listed 2004).

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

Elk Lake — common questions

How deep is Elk Lake?

The deepest contour on the Minnesota DNR bathymetric survey of Elk Lake 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 Elk Lake?

Elk Lake covers about 361 acres in Sherburne County, Minnesota.

What fish are in Elk 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 Elk Lake?

Yes. The Minnesota DNR lists a public access site on Elk Lake: a boat ramp with a boat dock. It is administered by the DNR Division of Parks and Trails. DNR directions: "From Zimmerman, west 1.25 miles on County Road 4, then north 2.5 miles on County Road 1 to access across Elk Lake Road."

More lakes in Sherburne County