Minnesota Lake Depths
NESW

Lake Linka

Pope County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey
50ft Max
depth
175 acres 6 contours Public access
Paddling Index70Goodaway from major roads · sheltered geometry
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Depth scale

The lake

Survey readout

Lake Linka is mapped to a depth of 50 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 175 acres in Pope County, Minnesota. Depths come from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1954.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour
50 ft
Survey year
1954
Surface area
175 acres
Shoreline
1.99 mi · round
Aquatic vegetation
1% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access
Trailer Launch · Linka Lake Public Water Access Site · Minnesota DNR site
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
45.49030, -95.36499
MN DNR lake ID
61003700
Vertical exaggeration
1.98×
Basemap
USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size
2.2 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-25
70 / 100GoodData confidence: High

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

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

ComponentRatingPoints of weightMeasurement
Natural settingGood16.2 of 3550% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (32% forest, 14% wetland; 13% developed)
Geometric wind exposureVery Good20.8 of 29mean fetch 815 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · generally short 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 181 DNR public access site · boat ramp
Road isolationExcellent17.6 of 18relatively isolated from major roads · 0 MnDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km

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 — 32% forest and 14% 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 (current). 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).

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
507Fish sampled
11Species

Gamefish Largemouth Bass 56 · Northern Pike 41 · Walleye 9

Panfish Bluegill 209 · Green Sunfish 137 · Yellow Perch 23

All survey species11 species

Gamefish

Largemouth Bass56 caught · to 20″
Northern Pike41 caught · to 34″
Walleye9 caught · to 23″

Panfish

Bluegill209 caught · to 8″
Green Sunfish137 caught · to 5″
Yellow Perch23 caught · to 9″
Hybrid Sunfish11 caught · to 8″
Black Crappie6 caught · to 15″

Bullhead & catfish

Yellow Bullhead3 caught · to 12″
Brown Bullhead2 caught · to 8″

Forage & nongame

White Sucker10 caught · to 16″
Length is the largest fish netted in the survey, not an angler record. Source: Minnesota DNR lake survey (LakeFinder).

DNR stocking

state stocking record · 2017–2024

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

Walleye2,573 stocked · 2017–2024 · 7 plantings
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

Lake Linka — common questions

How deep is Lake Linka?

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

Lake Linka covers about 175 acres in Pope County, Minnesota.

What fish are in Lake Linka?

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

Is there public access to Lake Linka?

Yes. The Minnesota DNR lists a public access site on Lake Linka: a boat ramp with a boat dock. It is administered by the DNR Division of Parks and Trails. DNR directions: "5 mi S of Sedan on Cnty Rd 29, then 1.5 mi S on Mn Hwy 104, then 4.5 mi W on Cnty Rd 8, then 1.5 mi W and N on Twp Roads to E shore."