O'Brien Lake (Northeast Bay)

Crow Wing County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey

40ft Max
depth

86 acres 6 contours Public access

Paddling Index74Goodaway from major roads · sheltered geometry

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Depth scale

051015203040

The lake

Survey readout

O'Brien Lake (Northeast Bay) is mapped to a depth of 40 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 86 acres in Crow Wing County, Minnesota. Depths come from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1967.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 40 ft
Survey year: 1967
Surface area: 86 acres
Shoreline: 4.62 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 2% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Trailer Launch · O'Brien Lake Public Water Access Site · Minnesota DNR site

Additional depth details6 contours

Contour depths: 0–40 ft
Recorded point soundings: 40 ft

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Location

Crow Wing County, Minnesota · 15 nearest of 112 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: 46.68178, -94.03232
MN DNR lake ID: 18022702
Vertical exaggeration: 2.32×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.2 MB

Paddling

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

74 / 100GoodData confidence: High

O'Brien Lake (Northeast Bay) has a partly natural setting, generally sheltered geometry, little nearby major-road exposure.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

Component	Rating	Points of weight	Measurement
Natural setting	Good	19.1 of 35	61% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (40% forest, 21% wetland; 26% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Very Good	21.9 of 29	mean fetch 749 m · 2% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · generally short 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	Excellent	17.6 of 18	relatively isolated from major roads · 0 MnDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km

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: Moderate — 40% forest and 21% 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 (current). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from DNR surveys & active stocking

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

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 2019

336Fish sampled

11Species

Gamefish Northern Pike 74 · Largemouth Bass 19 · Walleye 6 · Bowfin 3

Panfish Bluegill 164 · Hybrid Sunfish 17 · Pumpkinseed 15

All survey species11 species

Gamefish

Northern Pike74 caught · to 30″

Largemouth Bass19 caught · to 18″

Walleye6 caught · to 25″

Bowfin3 caught · to 24″

Panfish

Bluegill164 caught · to 8″

Hybrid Sunfish17 caught · to 8″

Pumpkinseed15 caught · to 8″

Black Crappie10 caught · to 10″

Rock Bass9 caught · to 9″

Yellow Perch7 caught · to 8″

Bullhead & catfish

Yellow Bullhead12 caught · to 11″

Length is the largest fish netted in the survey, not an angler record. Source: Minnesota DNR lake survey of the whole lake (DOW 18022700), which includes this basin (LakeFinder).

DNR stocking

state stocking record · 2016–2024

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

Walleye5,360 stocked · 2016–2024 · 3 plantings

Yellow Perch2,640 stocked · 2024

Source: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking report for the whole lake (DOW 18022700). 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

O'Brien Lake (Northeast Bay) — common questions

How deep is O'Brien Lake (Northeast Bay)?

The deepest contour on the Minnesota DNR bathymetric survey of O'Brien Lake (Northeast Bay) is 40 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 O'Brien Lake (Northeast Bay)?

O'Brien Lake (Northeast Bay) covers about 86 acres in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.

What fish are in O'Brien Lake (Northeast Bay)?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin. The page lists all 11 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to O'Brien Lake (Northeast Bay)?

Yes. The Minnesota DNR lists a public access site on O'Brien Lake (Northeast Bay): a boat ramp with a boat dock and restrooms. It is administered by the DNR Division of Parks and Trails. DNR directions: "From Co. Rd. 36 go north on Bonnie Lakes Rd. for 1.55 miles, then left on Tamarack Rd. for 0.25 miles."

More lakes in Crow Wing County