Minnesota Lake Depths
NESW

Lower Spunk Lake

Stearns County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey
25ft Max
depth
179 acres 5 contours Public access
Paddling Index63Mixedsheltered geometry · wooded shoreline
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Depth scale

The lake

Survey readout

Lower Spunk Lake is mapped to a depth of 25 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 179 acres in Stearns County, Minnesota.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour
25 ft
Surface area
179 acres
Shoreline
2.57 mi · lobed
Aquatic vegetation
2% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access
Trailer Launch · Lower Spunk Lake Public Water Access Site · Minnesota DNR site
Additional depth details5 contours
Contour depths
0–25 ft
Recorded point soundings
25 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
45.61805, -94.45894
MN DNR lake ID
73012300
Vertical exaggeration
2.83×
Basemap
USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size
2.4 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-25
63 / 100MixedData confidence: High

Lower Spunk Lake has a mostly natural, lightly developed setting, generally sheltered geometry, nearby higher-volume roads.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

ComponentRatingPoints of weightMeasurement
Natural settingVery Good22.1 of 3568% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (6% forest, 60% wetland; 21% developed)
Geometric wind exposureVery Good21.9 of 29mean fetch 771 m · 15% 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 isolationMixed4.4 of 18nearby higher-volume roads · 19 MnDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 29,093 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 2% 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 — 6% forest and 60% 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 2013–2025). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from DNR surveys

13 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. 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
830Fish sampled
13Species

Gamefish Northern Pike 95 · Largemouth Bass 54 · Bowfin 6 · Walleye 2

Panfish Bluegill 441 · Pumpkinseed 36 · Black Crappie 28

All survey species13 species

Gamefish

Northern Pike95 caught · to 33″
Largemouth Bass54 caught · to 20″
Bowfin6 caught · to 22″
Walleye2 caught · to 25″

Panfish

Bluegill441 caught · to 8″
Pumpkinseed36 caught · to 7″
Black Crappie28 caught · to 10″
Hybrid Sunfish18 caught · to 8″
Green Sunfish1 caught · to 7″
Yellow Perch1 caught · to 5″

Bullhead & catfish

Yellow Bullhead122 caught · to 13″
Black Bullhead11 caught · to 10″

Forage & nongame

White Sucker15 caught · to 18″
Length is the largest fish netted in the survey, not an angler record. Source: Minnesota DNR lake survey (LakeFinder).

Infested waters listing

1 confirmed

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

Lower Spunk Lake — common questions

How deep is Lower Spunk Lake?

The deepest contour on the Minnesota DNR bathymetric survey of Lower Spunk Lake is 25 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 Lower Spunk Lake?

Lower Spunk Lake covers about 179 acres in Stearns County, Minnesota.

What fish are in Lower Spunk Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill. The page lists all 13 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Lower Spunk Lake?

Yes. The Minnesota DNR lists a public access site on Lower Spunk Lake: a boat ramp with a boat dock and restrooms. It is administered by the DNR Division of Parks and Trails. DNR directions: "931 1st Street NW, Avon, MN."