Loon Lake

Cook County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey

210ft Max
depth

1,093 acres 12 contours Public access

Paddling Index68Mixedwooded shoreline · away from major roads

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Depth scale

053070110150190210

The lake

Survey readout

Loon Lake is mapped to a depth of 210 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 1,093 acres in Cook County, Minnesota. Depths come from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1993.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 210 ft
Survey year: 1993
Surface area: 1,093 acres
Shoreline: 14.08 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 0% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Trailer Launch · Loon Lake Public Water Access Site · Minnesota DNR site

Additional depth details12 contours

Contour depths: 0–210 ft
Recorded point soundings: 210 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: 48.07760, -90.68993
MN DNR lake ID: 16044800
Vertical exaggeration: 1.4×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.3 MB

Paddling

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

68 / 100MixedData confidence: High

Loon Lake has a heavily wooded and largely undeveloped setting, moderate open-water exposure, limited nearby major-road exposure.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

Component	Rating	Points of weight	Measurement
Natural setting	Excellent	31.9 of 35	91% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (78% forest, 5% wetland; 2% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Good	8.9 of 29	mean fetch 2,168 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · moderate open-water fetch
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	Good	15.0 of 18	1 DNR public access site · boat ramp
Road isolation	Very Good	12.0 of 18	limited nearby major-road exposure · 4 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 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: High — 78% forest and 5% 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

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

About these fish → the Fish of Minnesota guide

Compiled from Minnesota DNR fishery surveys. 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 2024

400Fish sampled

7Species

Gamefish Smallmouth Bass 27 · Lake Trout 17 · Northern Pike 9 · Walleye 4

Panfish Rock Bass 206 · Bluegill 22

All survey species7 species

Gamefish

Smallmouth Bass27 caught · to 14″

Lake Trout17 caught · to 32″

Northern Pike9 caught · to 33″

Walleye4 caught · to 17″

Panfish

Rock Bass206 caught · to 10″

Bluegill22 caught · to 7″

Forage & nongame

Cisco115 caught · to 13″

Length is the largest fish netted in the survey, not an angler record. Source: Minnesota DNR lake survey (LakeFinder).

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

Loon Lake — common questions

How deep is Loon Lake?

The deepest contour on the Minnesota DNR bathymetric survey of Loon Lake is 210 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 Loon Lake?

Loon Lake covers about 1,093 acres in Cook County, Minnesota.

What fish are in Loon Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include lake trout, northern pike, smallmouth bass, walleye, bluegill, rock bass. The page lists all 7 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Loon Lake?

Yes. The Minnesota DNR lists a public access site on Loon Lake: a boat ramp with restrooms. It is administered by the DNR Division of Parks and Trails. DNR directions: "25 mi N of Grand Marais off CSAH 12 on SE shore."

More lakes in Cook County