Minnesota Lake Depths
NESW

Sisseton Lake

Martin County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey
17ft Max
depth
140 acres 8 contours Public access
Paddling Index38Modestsheltered geometry
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Depth scale

The lake

Survey readout

Sisseton Lake is mapped to a depth of 17 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 140 acres in Martin County, Minnesota. Depths come from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1956.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour
17 ft
Survey year
1956
Surface area
140 acres
Shoreline
5.47 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation
1% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access
Trailer Launch · Sisseton Lake Public Water Access Site · Minnesota DNR site · 1 more
Additional depth details8 contours
Contour depths
0–17 ft
Recorded point soundings
17 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
43.65148, -94.46740
MN DNR lake ID
46002500
Vertical exaggeration
3.0×
Basemap
USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size
2.4 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-25
38 / 100ModestData confidence: High

Sisseton Lake has a substantially developed setting, generally sheltered geometry, substantial nearby higher-volume roads.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

ComponentRatingPoints of weightMeasurement
Natural settingModest0.7 of 359% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (3% forest, 6% wetland; 68% developed)
Geometric wind exposureVery Good21.4 of 29mean fetch 777 m · 2% 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 182 DNR public access sites · boat ramp · fishing pier
Road isolationModest0.9 of 18substantial nearby higher-volume roads · 43 MnDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 7,383 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 1% 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 — 3% forest and 6% 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 2022–2025). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from DNR surveys & active stocking

18 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 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 2023
704Fish sampled
18Species

Gamefish Walleye 51 · Channel Catfish 21 · Largemouth Bass 21 · Northern Pike 5

Panfish Black Crappie 137 · Bluegill 24 · Yellow Perch 23

All survey species18 species

Gamefish

Walleye51 caught · to 26″
Channel Catfish21 caught · to 27″
Largemouth Bass21 caught · to 6″
Northern Pike5 caught · to 37″
Muskellunge1 caught · to 37″

Panfish

Black Crappie137 caught · to 11″
Bluegill24 caught · to 9″
Yellow Perch23 caught · to 8″
White Crappie1 caught · to 7″

Bullhead & catfish

Yellow Bullhead15 caught · to 12″
Black Bullhead2 caught · to 10″

Forage & nongame

Bass187 caught · to 10″
Freshwater Drum161 caught · to 17″
Golden Shiner23 caught · to 6″
White Sucker21 caught · to 21″
Bigmouth Buffalo6 caught · to 24″
Common Carp4 caught · to 25″
Quillback1 caught · to 18″
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.

Walleye302,876 stocked · 2016–2025 · 13 plantings
Yellow Perch2,000 stocked · 2025
Muskellunge184 stocked · 2016–2024 · 5 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

Sisseton Lake — common questions

How deep is Sisseton Lake?

The deepest contour on the Minnesota DNR bathymetric survey of Sisseton Lake is 17 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 Sisseton Lake?

Sisseton Lake covers about 140 acres in Martin County, Minnesota.

What fish are in Sisseton Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include channel catfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, walleye, black bullhead. The page lists all 18 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Sisseton Lake?

Yes. The Minnesota DNR lists 2 public access sites on Sisseton Lake: Sisseton Lake Public Water Access Site (boat ramp); Sisseton Lake Fishing Pier (public fishing pier).