Minnesota Lake Depths
NESW

Goose Lake (South Bay)

Chisago County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey
50ft Max
depth
448 acres 6 contours
Paddling Index55MixedMedium confidenceaway from major roads
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Depth scale

The lake

Survey readout

Goose Lake (South Bay) is mapped to a depth of 50 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 448 acres in Chisago County, Minnesota. Depths come from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1955.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour
50 ft
Survey year
1955
Surface area
448 acres
Shoreline
7.86 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation
6% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access
No public DNR launch identified
Additional depth details6 contours
Contour depths
0–50 ft
Recorded point soundings
50 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
45.62541, -93.07662
MN DNR lake ID
13008302
Vertical exaggeration
1.98×
Basemap
USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size
2.2 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-25
55 / 100MixedData confidence: Medium

Goose Lake (South Bay) has a partly natural setting, moderate open-water exposure, limited nearby major-road exposure.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

ComponentRatingPoints of weightMeasurement
Natural settingGood21.7 of 4356% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (6% forest, 46% wetland; 25% developed)
Geometric wind exposureGood17.0 of 36mean fetch 1,438 m · 5% 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 accessNot listed—No public access site of this lake’s own in the MN DNR water access and fishing site records. Private, commercial and informal launches are not all in these records, so this is not evidence that access is poor — the component is excluded and the remaining weights are renormalized.
Road isolationVery Good15.9 of 21limited nearby major-road exposure · 4 MnDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 812 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 6% 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 — 6% forest and 46% 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) and MnDOT Annual Average Daily Traffic (counts 2009–2025). 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
1,304Fish sampled
15Species

Gamefish Largemouth Bass 95 · Northern Pike 69 · Walleye 29 · Bowfin 6

Panfish Bluegill 420 · Yellow Perch 258 · Black Crappie 222

All survey species15 species

Gamefish

Largemouth Bass95 caught · to 19″
Northern Pike69 caught · to 33″
Walleye29 caught · to 26″
Bowfin6 caught · to 23″

Panfish

Bluegill420 caught · to 9″
Yellow Perch258 caught · to 10″
Black Crappie222 caught · to 11″
Pumpkinseed51 caught · to 7″
Hybrid Sunfish9 caught · to 7″
Green Sunfish5 caught · to 5″

Bullhead & catfish

Yellow Bullhead70 caught · to 13″
Black Bullhead33 caught · to 13″
Brown Bullhead23 caught · to 13″

Forage & nongame

White Sucker13 caught · to 20″
Common Carp1 caught · to 29″
Length is the largest fish netted in the survey, not an angler record. Source: Minnesota DNR lake survey of the whole lake (DOW 13008300), which includes this basin (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.

Walleye58,845 stocked · 2016–2025 · 21 plantings
Source: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking report for the whole lake (DOW 13008300). LakeFinder lists the last 10 years of stocking only.

Infested waters listing

2 confirmed

Mussels & snails

Plants & algae

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

Goose Lake (South Bay) — common questions

How deep is Goose Lake (South Bay)?

The deepest contour on the Minnesota DNR bathymetric survey of Goose Lake (South Bay) is 50 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 Goose Lake (South Bay)?

Goose Lake (South Bay) covers about 448 acres in Chisago County, Minnesota.

What fish are in Goose Lake (South Bay)?

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

Is there public access to Goose Lake (South Bay)?

No public launch for Goose Lake (South Bay) appears in the Minnesota DNR access data. That is not the same as the lake being private -- private and commercial launches are not in that source.