Minnesota Lake Depths
NESW

Lake Waconia

Carver County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey
35ft Max
depth
3,078 acres 7 contours Public access
Paddling Index20Modest
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Depth scale

The lake

Survey readout

Lake Waconia is mapped to a depth of 35 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 3,078 acres in Carver County, Minnesota. Depths come from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1959.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour
35 ft
Survey year
1959
Surface area
3,078 acres
Shoreline
9.83 mi · lobed
Aquatic vegetation
1% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access
Trailer Launch · Lake Waconia - East, Public Water Access Site · Minnesota DNR site · 3 more
Additional depth details7 contours
Contour depths
0–35 ft
Recorded point soundings
35 ft, 15 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
44.86910, -93.78470
MN DNR lake ID
10005900
Vertical exaggeration
2.49×
Basemap
USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size
2.3 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-25
20 / 100ModestData confidence: High

Lake Waconia has a substantially developed setting, notable open-water exposure, substantial nearby higher-volume roads.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

ComponentRatingPoints of weightMeasurement
Natural settingModest0.7 of 3519% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (11% forest, 7% wetland; 50% developed)
Geometric wind exposureMixed3.4 of 29mean fetch 3,413 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 accessGood15.0 of 184 DNR public access sites · boat ramp · ADA-accessible · fishing pier
Road isolationModest0.9 of 18substantial nearby higher-volume roads · 55 MnDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 16,196 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
Limited — 11% forest and 7% 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 2014–2025). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from DNR surveys & active stocking

18 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
2,091Fish sampled
17Species

Gamefish Walleye 89 · Northern Pike 44 · Largemouth Bass 27 · Muskellunge 6

Panfish Bluegill 1,223 · Pumpkinseed 337 · Hybrid Sunfish 128

All survey species17 species

Gamefish

Walleye89 caught · to 26″
Northern Pike44 caught · to 35″
Largemouth Bass27 caught · to 19″
Muskellunge6 caught · to 44″

Panfish

Bluegill1,223 caught · to 7″
Pumpkinseed337 caught · to 8″
Hybrid Sunfish128 caught · to 8″
Black Crappie68 caught · to 12″
Yellow Perch59 caught · to 8″
Green Sunfish4 caught · to 7″

Bullhead & catfish

Yellow Bullhead47 caught · to 13″
Black Bullhead1 caught · to 9″
Brown Bullhead1 caught · to 15″

Forage & nongame

Freshwater Drum43 caught · to 25″
Golden Shiner10 caught · to 6″
Bigmouth Buffalo2 caught · to 18″
Common Carp2 caught · to 33″
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.

Walleye1,015,045 stocked · 2016–2025 · 6 plantings
Muskellunge8,496 stocked · 2016–2025 · 11 plantings
Iowa darter920 stocked · 2022
Source: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking report. 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

Lake Waconia — common questions

How deep is Lake Waconia?

The deepest contour on the Minnesota DNR bathymetric survey of Lake Waconia is 35 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 Waconia?

Lake Waconia covers about 3,078 acres in Carver County, Minnesota.

What fish are in Lake Waconia?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, walleye, black bullhead, black crappie. The page lists all 18 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Lake Waconia?

Yes. The Minnesota DNR lists 4 public access sites on Lake Waconia: Lake Waconia - East, Public Water Access Site (boat ramp); Lake Waconia - South, Public Water Access Site (boat ramp); Lake Waconia, Lakeview Terrace Public Water Access Site (boat ramp); Waconia Fishing Pier (public fishing pier).