Fish Lake

Dakota County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey

30ft Max
depth

31 acres 8 contours Public access

Paddling Index46Modestsheltered geometry

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Depth scale

03571015202530

The lake

Survey readout

Fish Lake is mapped to a depth of 30 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 31 acres in Dakota County, Minnesota.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 30 ft
Surface area: 31 acres
Shoreline: 1.38 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 9% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Trailer Launch · Fish Lake Public Water Access Site · Minnesota DNR site · 1 more

Additional depth details8 contours

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

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Location

Dakota County, Minnesota · 15 nearest of 17 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: 44.82173, -93.16246
MN DNR lake ID: 19005700
Vertical exaggeration: 2.66×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.1 MB

Paddling

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

46 / 100ModestData confidence: High

Fish Lake has a substantially developed setting, well sheltered geometry, substantial nearby higher-volume roads.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

Component	Rating	Points of weight	Measurement
Natural setting	Modest	0.7 of 35	8% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (8% forest, 1% wetland; 84% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Excellent	29.4 of 29	mean fetch 377 m · 87% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · short fetch in most directions
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	2 DNR public access sites · boat ramp · fishing pier
Road isolation	Modest	0.9 of 18	substantial nearby higher-volume roads · 52 MnDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 98,203 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: Moderate — narrow in places — wakes would carry across parts of the lake
Aquatic vegetation: Low — approximately 9% 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 — 8% forest and 1% 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 2022–2025). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from DNR surveys & active stocking

11 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

Channel Catfishstocked

Walleyestocked

Yellow Perchstocked

Hybrid Sunfish

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 2013

260Fish sampled

8Species

Gamefish Northern Pike 10 · Largemouth Bass 1

Panfish Bluegill 174 · Hybrid Sunfish 39 · Pumpkinseed 18

All survey species8 species

Gamefish

Northern Pike10 caught · to 30″

Largemouth Bass1 caught · to 7″

Panfish

Bluegill174 caught · to 6″

Hybrid Sunfish39 caught · to 6″

Pumpkinseed18 caught · to 6″

Black Crappie5 caught · to 7″

Green Sunfish2 caught · to 5″

Bullhead & catfish

Black Bullhead11 caught · to 11″

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

DNR stocking

state stocking record · 2016–2018

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

Yellow Perch3,000 stocked · 2018

Walleye775 stocked · 2016–2018 · 2 plantings

Channel Catfish4,189 stocked · 2017

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 2009 (listed 2009).

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

Fish Lake — common questions

How deep is Fish Lake?

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

Fish Lake covers about 31 acres in Dakota County, Minnesota.

What fish are in Fish Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include channel catfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, black bullhead, black crappie. The page lists all 11 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Fish Lake?

Yes. The Minnesota DNR lists 2 public access sites on Fish Lake: Fish Lake Public Water Access Site (boat ramp); Fish Fishing Pier (public fishing pier).

More lakes in Dakota County