Minnesota Lake Depths
NESW

Fox Lake

Martin County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey
20ft Max
depth
949 acres 2 contours Public access
Paddling Index40Modest
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Depth scale

The lake

Survey readout

Fox Lake is mapped to a depth of 20 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 949 acres in Martin County, Minnesota. Depths come from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1951.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour
20 ft
Survey year
1951
Surface area
949 acres
Shoreline
10.08 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation
1% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access
Trailer Launch · Fox Lake (NE) Public Water Access Site · Minnesota DNR site · 2 more
Additional depth details2 contours
Contour depths
0–20 ft
Recorded point soundings
20 ft
Compare with another 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
43.67703, -94.68309
MN DNR lake ID
46010900
Vertical exaggeration
3.0×
Basemap
USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size
2.0 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-25
40 / 100ModestData confidence: High

Fox 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

ComponentRatingPoints of weightMeasurement
Natural settingMixed8.4 of 3531% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (16% forest, 9% wetland; 18% developed)
Geometric wind exposureGood9.4 of 29mean fetch 2,087 m · 1% 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 183 DNR public access sites · boat ramp · fishing pier
Road isolationMixed6.8 of 18nearby higher-volume roads · 21 MnDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 8,319 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
Limited — 16% forest and 9% 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 2021–2025). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from DNR surveys & active stocking

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

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 2025
1,871Fish sampled
14Species

Gamefish Walleye 5 · Channel Catfish 2 · Largemouth Bass 1

Panfish White Crappie 1,020 · Black Crappie 375 · Bluegill 24

All survey species14 species

Gamefish

Walleye5 caught · to 25″
Channel Catfish2 caught · to 14″
Largemouth Bass1 caught · to 14″

Panfish

White Crappie1,020 caught · to 11″
Black Crappie375 caught · to 8″
Bluegill24 caught · to 6″
Yellow Perch4 caught · to 7″

Bullhead & catfish

Yellow Bullhead2 caught · to 10″
Black Bullhead1 caught · to 7″

Forage & nongame

Freshwater Drum236 caught · to 14″
Bigmouth Buffalo190 caught · to 30″
Common Carp8 caught · to 30″
Quillback2 caught · to 20″
Golden Shiner1 caught · to 5″
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.

Walleye1,776,070 stocked · 2016–2025 · 15 plantings
Bluegill Sunfish2,500 stocked · 2025
Yellow Perch6,380 stocked · 2022–2024 · 2 plantings
Muskellunge2,399 stocked · 2016–2024 · 5 plantings
Largemouth Bass30 stocked · 2023
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

Fox Lake — common questions

How deep is Fox Lake?

The deepest contour on the Minnesota DNR bathymetric survey of Fox Lake is 20 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 Fox Lake?

Fox Lake covers about 949 acres in Martin County, Minnesota.

What fish are in Fox Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include channel catfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, walleye, black bullhead, black crappie. The page lists all 15 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Fox Lake?

Yes. The Minnesota DNR lists 3 public access sites on Fox Lake: Fox Lake (NE) Public Water Access Site (boat ramp); Fox Lake (SE) Public Water Access Site (boat ramp); Fox Lake Fishing Pier (public fishing pier).