Minnesota Lake Depths
NESW

Lake Miltona

Douglas County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey
100ft Max
depth
5,723 acres 11 contours Public access
Paddling Index35Modest
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Depth scale

The lake

Survey readout

Lake Miltona is mapped to a depth of 100 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 5,723 acres in Douglas County, Minnesota. Depths come from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1961.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour
100 ft
Survey year
1961
Surface area
5,723 acres
Shoreline
16.59 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation
0% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access
Trailer Launch · Miltona Lake (NW) Public Water Access Site · Minnesota DNR site · 2 more
Additional depth details11 contours
Contour depths
0–100 ft
Recorded point soundings
100 ft, 90 ft, 80 ft, 40 ft, 30 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
46.03899, -95.36961
MN DNR lake ID
21008300
Vertical exaggeration
1.4×
Basemap
USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size
2.3 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-25
35 / 100ModestData confidence: High

Lake Miltona has a mixed natural and developed setting, long open-water fetch, nearby higher-volume roads.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

ComponentRatingPoints of weightMeasurement
Natural settingMixed13.8 of 3550% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (30% forest, 16% wetland; 30% developed)
Geometric wind exposureModest1.5 of 29mean fetch 5,826 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · long 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
Road isolationMixed4.4 of 18nearby higher-volume roads · 16 MnDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 6,546 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 0% 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 — 30% forest and 16% 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 2018–2025). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from DNR surveys & active stocking

16 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
1,588Fish sampled
16Species

Gamefish Walleye 139 · Largemouth Bass 40 · Northern Pike 27 · Smallmouth Bass 14

Panfish Bluegill 549 · Hybrid Sunfish 244 · Pumpkinseed 240

All survey species16 species

Gamefish

Walleye139 caught · to 27″
Largemouth Bass40 caught · to 15″
Northern Pike27 caught · to 32″
Smallmouth Bass14 caught · to 18″
Muskellunge1 caught · to 39″

Panfish

Bluegill549 caught · to 8″
Hybrid Sunfish244 caught · to 7″
Pumpkinseed240 caught · to 7″
Yellow Perch155 caught · to 8″
Rock Bass83 caught · to 11″
Black Crappie23 caught · to 13″

Bullhead & catfish

Yellow Bullhead58 caught · to 13″
Brown Bullhead10 caught · to 12″
Black Bullhead1 caught · to 11″

Forage & nongame

White Sucker3 caught · to 19″
Cisco1 caught · to 7″
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.

Walleye18,706,277 stocked · 2016–2025 · 29 plantings
Muskellunge6,994 stocked · 2017–2025 · 7 plantings
Source: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking report. LakeFinder lists the last 10 years of stocking only.

Infested waters listing

1 confirmed

Mussels & snails

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 Miltona — common questions

How deep is Lake Miltona?

The deepest contour on the Minnesota DNR bathymetric survey of Lake Miltona is 100 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 Miltona?

Lake Miltona covers about 5,723 acres in Douglas County, Minnesota.

What fish are in Lake Miltona?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, smallmouth bass, walleye, black bullhead. The page lists all 16 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Lake Miltona?

Yes. The Minnesota DNR lists 3 public access sites on Lake Miltona: Miltona Lake (NW) Public Water Access Site (boat ramp); Miltona Lake, Parson Park (NE) Public Water Access Site (boat ramp); Miltona Lake, Sandy Beach Public Water Access Site (boat ramp).