Poplar Lake

Cook County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey

70ft Max
depth

763 acres 9 contours Public access

Paddling Index64Mixedwooded shoreline

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Depth scale

051015203040506070

The lake

Survey readout

Poplar Lake is mapped to a depth of 70 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 763 acres in Cook County, Minnesota. Depths come from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1979.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 70 ft
Survey year: 1979
Surface area: 763 acres
Shoreline: 14.84 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 7% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Trailer Launch · Popular Lake Public Water Access Site · Minnesota DNR site

Additional depth details9 contours

Contour depths: 0–70 ft
Recorded point soundings: 70 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: 48.04685, -90.51221
MN DNR lake ID: 16023900
Vertical exaggeration: 1.4×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.4 MB

Paddling

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

64 / 100MixedData confidence: High

Poplar Lake has a mostly natural, lightly developed setting, moderate open-water exposure, some nearby classified roads.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

Component	Rating	Points of weight	Measurement
Natural setting	Very Good	27.8 of 35	83% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (70% forest, 12% wetland; 11% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Good	10.6 of 29	mean fetch 1,936 m · 12% 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	Good	10.6 of 18	some nearby classified roads · 5 MnDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 652 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 7% 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 — 70% forest and 12% 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 2014–2025). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from DNR surveys & active stocking

9 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

Brook Stickleback

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 2016

517Fish sampled

9Species

Gamefish Smallmouth Bass 57 · Northern Pike 23 · Walleye 13

Panfish Yellow Perch 305 · Black Crappie 71

All survey species9 species

Gamefish

Smallmouth Bass57 caught · to 17″

Northern Pike23 caught · to 25″

Walleye13 caught · to 27″

Panfish

Yellow Perch305 caught · to 7″

Black Crappie71 caught · to 11″

Forage & nongame

White Sucker21 caught · to 20″

Lake Whitefish20 caught · to 18″

Burbot6 caught · to 16″

Brook Stickleback1 caught

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

DNR stocking

state stocking record · 2017–2025

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

Walleye62,307 stocked · 2017–2025 · 5 plantings

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

Infested waters listing

1 confirmed

Other invertebrates

Spiny WaterfleaConfirmed in this water in 2025 (listed 2025).

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

Poplar Lake — common questions

How deep is Poplar Lake?

The deepest contour on the Minnesota DNR bathymetric survey of Poplar Lake is 70 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 Poplar Lake?

Poplar Lake covers about 763 acres in Cook County, Minnesota.

What fish are in Poplar Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include burbot, lake whitefish, northern pike, smallmouth bass, walleye, black crappie. The page lists all 9 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Poplar Lake?

Yes. The Minnesota DNR lists a public access site on Poplar Lake: a boat ramp. It is administered by the U.S. Forest Service. DNR directions: "Take Hwy 12 for 31.5 miles to Co Rd 92. Follow Co Rd 92 west for 0.5 miles to Usfs 1335. Follow Usfs 1335 for 0.5 miles to Poplar Lake Access."

More lakes in Cook County