Minnesota Lake Depths
NESW

Pine Lake

Aitkin County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey
25ft Max
depth
378 acres 5 contours Public access
Paddling Index56Mixedaway from major roads
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Depth scale

The lake

Survey readout

Pine Lake is mapped to a depth of 25 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 378 acres in Aitkin County, Minnesota. Depths come from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1990.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour
25 ft
Survey year
1990
Surface area
378 acres
Shoreline
4.66 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation
3% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access
Trailer Launch · Pine 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
46.18609, -93.07541
MN DNR lake ID
01000100
Vertical exaggeration
2.83×
Basemap
USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size
2.5 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-25
56 / 100MixedData confidence: High

Pine Lake has a partly natural setting, moderate open-water exposure, limited nearby major-road exposure.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

ComponentRatingPoints of weightMeasurement
Natural settingGood14.9 of 3552% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (29% forest, 22% wetland; 31% developed)
Geometric wind exposureGood12.7 of 29mean fetch 1,591 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · moderate open-water 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 isolationVery Good12.9 of 18limited nearby major-road exposure · 3 MnDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 217 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 3% 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 — 29% forest and 22% 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 2024). 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).

White Sucker
Shorthead Redhorse
Hybrid Sunfish
Golden Shiner
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 2022
567Fish sampled
11Species

Gamefish Northern Pike 38 · Largemouth Bass 29 · Walleye 9

Panfish Yellow Perch 312 · Bluegill 142 · Black Crappie 14

All survey species11 species

Gamefish

Northern Pike38 caught · to 37″
Largemouth Bass29 caught · to 19″
Walleye9 caught · to 33″

Panfish

Yellow Perch312 caught · to 8″
Bluegill142 caught · to 7″
Black Crappie14 caught · to 9″
Hybrid Sunfish1 caught · to 6″

Bullhead & catfish

Yellow Bullhead4 caught · to 13″

Forage & nongame

White Sucker12 caught · to 20″
Golden Shiner4 caught · to 6″
Shorthead Redhorse2 caught · to 19″
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.

Walleye96,920 stocked · 2016–2025 · 11 plantings
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

Pine Lake — common questions

How deep is Pine Lake?

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

Pine Lake covers about 378 acres in Aitkin County, Minnesota.

What fish are in Pine Lake?

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

Is there public access to Pine Lake?

Yes. The Minnesota DNR lists a public access site on Pine Lake: a boat ramp with a boat dock and restrooms. It is administered by the DNR Division of Parks and Trails. DNR directions: "3.3 miles southeast of Giese on CSAH #23 on the south shore of Upper Big Pine Lake."