Little Iron Lake

Cook County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey

15ft Max
depth

115 acres 3 contours Public access

Paddling Index93Excellentsheltered geometry · wooded shoreline · away from major roads

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Depth scale

051015

The lake

Survey readout

Little Iron Lake is mapped to a depth of 15 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 115 acres in Cook County, Minnesota.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 15 ft
Surface area: 115 acres
Shoreline: 6.93 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 4% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Carry-In · Little Iron Public Water Access Site · Minnesota DNR site

Additional depth details3 contours

Contour depths: 0–15 ft
Recorded point soundings: 15 ft

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Location

Cook County, Minnesota · 15 nearest of 37 lakes · tap a dot for that 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: 48.06521, -90.64081
MN DNR lake ID: 16035500
Vertical exaggeration: 3.0×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.4 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-25

93 / 100ExcellentData confidence: High

Little Iron Lake has a heavily wooded and largely undeveloped setting, well sheltered geometry, limited nearby major-road exposure.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

Component	Rating	Points of weight	Measurement
Natural setting	Excellent	33.3 of 35	93% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (62% forest, 30% wetland; 3% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Excellent	29.4 of 29	mean fetch 398 m · 72% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · short fetch in most directions
Motor & speed rules	Not 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 access	Excellent	17.6 of 18	1 DNR public access site · carry-in or canoe launch
Road isolation	Very Good	12.3 of 18	limited nearby major-road exposure · 3 MnDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 405 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 4% 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 — 62% forest and 30% wetland cover within 150 m of shore

Compare Minnesota lakes by Paddling Index →

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 2014–2024). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from DNR surveys & active stocking

6 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colors, not photographs (provenance).

White Sucker

About these fish → the Fish of Minnesota guide

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

79Fish sampled

6Species

Gamefish

Northern Pike31 caught · to 26″

Walleye1 caught · to 21″

Panfish

Bluegill41 caught · to 10″

Rock Bass3 caught · to 5″

Yellow Perch2 caught · to 5″

Forage & nongame

White Sucker1 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 · 2016–2016

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

Walleye2,374 stocked · 2016

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

Little Iron Lake — common questions

How deep is Little Iron Lake?

The deepest contour on the Minnesota DNR bathymetric survey of Little Iron Lake is 15 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 Little Iron Lake?

Little Iron Lake covers about 115 acres in Cook County, Minnesota.

What fish are in Little Iron Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include northern pike, walleye, bluegill, rock bass, yellow perch, white sucker. The page shows the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Little Iron Lake?

Yes. The Minnesota DNR lists a public access site on Little Iron Lake: a carry-in launch. It is administered by the U.S. Forest Service. DNR directions: "North of Grand Marias off the Gunflint Trail."

More lakes in Cook County