Minnesota Lake Depths
NESW

South Long Lake

Crow Wing County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey
45ft Max
depth
1,296 acres 9 contours Public access
Paddling Index43Modest
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Depth scale

The lake

Survey readout

South Long Lake is mapped to a depth of 45 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 1,296 acres in Crow Wing County, Minnesota. Depths come from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1968.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour
45 ft
Survey year
1968
Surface area
1,296 acres
Shoreline
9.13 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation
0% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access
Trailer Launch · South Long Lake Public Water Access Site · Minnesota DNR site · 1 more
Additional depth details9 contours
Contour depths
0–45 ft
Recorded point soundings
45 ft, 30 ft, 25 ft, 25 ft, 20 ft, 15 ft
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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
46.27948, -94.09072
MN DNR lake ID
18013600
Vertical exaggeration
2.15×
Basemap
USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size
2.4 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-25
43 / 100ModestData confidence: High

South Long Lake has a partly natural setting, notable open-water exposure, nearby higher-volume roads.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

ComponentRatingPoints of weightMeasurement
Natural settingGood15.8 of 3556% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (32% forest, 23% wetland; 31% developed)
Geometric wind exposureMixed5.5 of 29mean fetch 2,879 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · long fetch in some directions
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 isolationMixed6.3 of 18nearby higher-volume roads · 9 MnDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 2,735 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 0% 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 — 32% forest and 23% 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 2011–2025). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from DNR surveys & active stocking

15 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 2025
873Fish sampled
15Species

Gamefish Largemouth Bass 150 · Walleye 68 · Northern Pike 67 · Bowfin 7

Panfish Bluegill 361 · Yellow Perch 92 · Pumpkinseed 29

All survey species15 species

Gamefish

Largemouth Bass150 caught · to 18″
Walleye68 caught · to 29″
Northern Pike67 caught · to 29″
Bowfin7 caught · to 25″

Panfish

Bluegill361 caught · to 8″
Yellow Perch92 caught · to 8″
Pumpkinseed29 caught · to 8″
Rock Bass11 caught · to 11″
Hybrid Sunfish6 caught · to 8″
Black Crappie5 caught · to 11″

Bullhead & catfish

Yellow Bullhead42 caught · to 14″
Brown Bullhead5 caught · to 12″

Forage & nongame

White Sucker25 caught · to 22″
Cisco4 caught · to 17″
Common Carp1 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 · 2017–2025

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

Walleye1,295,697 stocked · 2017–2025 · 9 plantings
Source: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking report. LakeFinder lists the last 10 years of stocking only.

Infested waters listing

2 confirmed

Mussels & snails

  • Faucet SnailConfirmed in this water in 2021 (listed 2021).
  • Zebra MusselConfirmed in this water in 2021 (listed 2021).
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

South Long Lake — common questions

How deep is South Long Lake?

The deepest contour on the Minnesota DNR bathymetric survey of South Long Lake is 45 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 South Long Lake?

South Long Lake covers about 1,296 acres in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.

What fish are in South Long Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin. The page lists all 15 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to South Long Lake?

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