Fox Lake

Rice County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey

40ft Max
depth

311 acres 7 contours Public access

Paddling Index63Mixedaway from major roads · sheltered geometry

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Depth scale

05101520253040

The lake

Survey readout

Fox Lake is mapped to a depth of 40 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 311 acres in Rice County, Minnesota. Depths come from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1975.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 40 ft
Survey year: 1975
Surface area: 311 acres
Shoreline: 2.93 mi · round
Aquatic vegetation: 1% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Trailer Launch · Fox Lake Public Water Access Site · Minnesota DNR site · 1 more

Additional depth details7 contours

Contour depths: 0–40 ft
Recorded point soundings: 40 ft

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Location

Rice County, Minnesota · all 14 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: 44.39214, -93.32446
MN DNR lake ID: 66002900
Vertical exaggeration: 2.32×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.0 MB

Paddling

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

63 / 100MixedData confidence: High

Fox Lake has a partly natural setting, generally sheltered geometry, limited nearby major-road exposure.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

Component	Rating	Points of weight	Measurement
Natural setting	Good	17.9 of 35	53% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (31% forest, 22% wetland; 12% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Very Good	16.4 of 29	mean fetch 1,167 m · 0% 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	2 DNR public access sites · boat ramp · fishing pier
Road isolation	Very Good	13.7 of 18	limited nearby major-road exposure · 4 MnDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 1,997 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 — 31% forest and 22% 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 2023–2025). 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).

Northern Pike

Common Carp

Bigmouth Buffalo

Freshwater Drum

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 2023

873Fish sampled

13Species

Gamefish Northern Pike 91 · Walleye 61 · Largemouth Bass 16 · Bowfin 5

Panfish Bluegill 333 · Yellow Perch 220 · Black Crappie 52

All survey species13 species

Gamefish

Northern Pike91 caught · to 29″

Walleye61 caught · to 24″

Largemouth Bass16 caught · to 17″

Bowfin5 caught · to 25″

Panfish

Bluegill333 caught · to 10″

Yellow Perch220 caught · to 8″

Black Crappie52 caught · to 10″

Bullhead & catfish

Black Bullhead5 caught · to 9″

Yellow Bullhead4 caught · to 14″

Forage & nongame

Freshwater Drum65 caught · to 19″

Common Carp12 caught · to 31″

White Sucker8 caught · to 19″

Bigmouth Buffalo1 caught · to 22″

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.

Walleye561,095 stocked · 2016–2025 · 5 plantings

Northern Pike187,942 stocked · 2016–2023 · 4 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 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

Fox Lake — common questions

How deep is Fox Lake?

The deepest contour on the Minnesota DNR bathymetric survey of Fox Lake is 40 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 311 acres in Rice County, Minnesota.

What fish are in Fox Lake?

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

Is there public access to Fox Lake?

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

More lakes in Rice County