Minnesota Lake Depths
NESW

Kitchi Lake

Beltrami County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey
50ft Max
depth
1,826 acres 7 contours
Paddling Index56MixedMedium confidencewooded shoreline
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Depth scale

The lake

Survey readout

Kitchi Lake is mapped to a depth of 50 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 1,826 acres in Beltrami County, Minnesota. Depths come from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1900.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour
50 ft
Survey year
1900
Surface area
1,826 acres
Shoreline
12.21 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation
1% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access
No public DNR launch identified
Additional depth details7 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
47.49667, -94.51012
MN DNR lake ID
04000700
Vertical exaggeration
1.98×
Basemap
USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size
2.3 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-25
56 / 100MixedData confidence: Medium

Kitchi Lake has a heavily wooded and largely undeveloped setting, notable open-water exposure, some nearby classified roads.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

ComponentRatingPoints of weightMeasurement
Natural settingExcellent35.9 of 4383% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (38% forest, 44% wetland; 11% developed)
Geometric wind exposureMixed9.4 of 36mean fetch 2,384 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · long fetch in some directions
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 isolationGood10.7 of 21some nearby classified roads · 6 MnDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 674 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
High — 38% forest and 44% 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 2020–2024). 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 2019
1,340Fish sampled
15Species

Gamefish Northern Pike 87 · Walleye 47 · Bowfin 20 · Largemouth Bass 5

Panfish Yellow Perch 698 · Bluegill 133 · Black Crappie 100

All survey species15 species

Gamefish

Northern Pike87 caught · to 28″
Walleye47 caught · to 24″
Bowfin20 caught · to 27″
Largemouth Bass5 caught · to 19″
Muskellunge2 caught · to 30″

Panfish

Yellow Perch698 caught · to 10″
Bluegill133 caught · to 10″
Black Crappie100 caught · to 13″
Pumpkinseed93 caught · to 10″
Rock Bass28 caught · to 11″
Hybrid Sunfish3 caught · to 9″

Bullhead & catfish

Brown Bullhead57 caught · to 15″
Yellow Bullhead50 caught · to 13″

Forage & nongame

White Sucker16 caught · to 19″
Shorthead Redhorse1 caught · to 10″
Length is the largest fish netted in the survey, not an angler record. Source: Minnesota DNR lake survey (LakeFinder).

DNR stocking

state stocking record · 2017–2025

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

Walleye4,228,551 stocked · 2017–2025 · 5 plantings
Source: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking report. LakeFinder lists the last 10 years of stocking only.

Infested waters listing

listed via connection

Mussels & snails

  • Zebra MusselListed in 2014 because this water is connected to Cass (04-0030). The species has not necessarily been found in this lake.
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

Kitchi Lake — common questions

How deep is Kitchi Lake?

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

Kitchi Lake covers about 1,826 acres in Beltrami County, Minnesota.

What fish are in Kitchi Lake?

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

Is there public access to Kitchi Lake?

No public launch for Kitchi Lake 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.