Marion Lake

Dakota County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey

15ft Max
depth

531 acres 3 contours Public access

Paddling Index37Modest

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Depth scale

051015

The lake

Survey readout

Marion Lake is mapped to a depth of 15 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 531 acres in Dakota County, Minnesota. Depths come from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1957.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 15 ft
Survey year: 1957
Surface area: 531 acres
Shoreline: 9.83 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 2% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Trailer Launch · Marion Lake Public Water Access Site · Minnesota DNR site · 2 more

Additional depth details3 contours

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

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Location

Dakota County, Minnesota · 15 nearest of 17 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: 44.66768, -93.28148
MN DNR lake ID: 19002600
Vertical exaggeration: 3.0×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.5 MB

Paddling

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

37 / 100ModestData confidence: High

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

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

Component	Rating	Points of weight	Measurement
Natural setting	Modest	5.8 of 35	40% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (27% forest, 11% wetland; 46% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Good	15.8 of 29	mean fetch 1,239 m · 4% 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	3 DNR public access sites · boat ramp · fishing pier
Road isolation	Modest	0.9 of 18	substantial nearby higher-volume roads · 86 MnDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 78,563 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: Limited — 27% forest and 11% 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 2018–2025). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from DNR surveys & active stocking

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).

Common Carp

White Sucker

Hybrid Sunfish

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 2017

691Fish sampled

13Species

Gamefish Largemouth Bass 92 · Northern Pike 52 · Walleye 5

Panfish Bluegill 392 · Pumpkinseed 41 · Black Crappie 34

All survey species13 species

Gamefish

Largemouth Bass92 caught · to 19″

Northern Pike52 caught · to 30″

Walleye5 caught · to 24″

Panfish

Bluegill392 caught · to 7″

Pumpkinseed41 caught · to 7″

Black Crappie34 caught · to 9″

Hybrid Sunfish7 caught · to 7″

Yellow Perch4 caught · to 6″

Green Sunfish2 caught

Bullhead & catfish

Yellow Bullhead51 caught · to 13″

Brown Bullhead1 caught · to 12″

Forage & nongame

Common Carp8 caught · to 19″

White Sucker2 caught · to 20″

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.

Walleye3,061,979 stocked · 2016–2025 · 10 plantings

Source: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking report. LakeFinder lists the last 10 years of stocking only.

Infested waters listing

2 confirmed

Mussels & snails

Zebra MusselConfirmed in this water in 2017 (listed 2017).

Plants & algae

Eurasian WatermilfoilConfirmed in this water in 1998 (listed 1998).

How to identify invasive species in Minnesota lakes →

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

Marion Lake — common questions

How deep is Marion Lake?

The deepest contour on the Minnesota DNR bathymetric survey of Marion 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 Marion Lake?

Marion Lake covers about 531 acres in Dakota County, Minnesota.

What fish are in Marion Lake?

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

Is there public access to Marion Lake?

Yes. The Minnesota DNR lists 3 public access sites on Marion Lake: Marion Lake Public Water Access Site (boat ramp); Marion Fishing Pier (public fishing pier); Marion Fishing Pier (public fishing pier).

More lakes in Dakota County