Tanager Lake

Hennepin County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey

20ft Max
depth

54 acres 4 contours

Paddling Index55MixedMedium confidencesheltered geometry

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Depth scale

05101520

The lake

Survey readout

Tanager Lake is mapped to a depth of 20 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 54 acres in Hennepin County, Minnesota.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 20 ft
Surface area: 54 acres
Shoreline: 1.29 mi · lobed
Aquatic vegetation: 2% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: No public DNR launch identified

Additional depth details4 contours

Contour depths: 0–20 ft
Recorded point soundings: 20 ft

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Location

Hennepin County, Minnesota · 15 nearest of 58 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: 44.96106, -93.56227
MN DNR lake ID: 27014100
Vertical exaggeration: 3.0×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.0 MB

Paddling

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

55 / 100MixedData confidence: Medium

Tanager Lake has a mixed natural and developed setting, well sheltered geometry, substantial nearby higher-volume roads.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

Component	Rating	Points of weight	Measurement
Natural setting	Mixed	16.6 of 43	53% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (30% forest, 21% wetland; 26% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Excellent	35.6 of 36	mean fetch 468 m · 62% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · short fetch in most directions
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	Not listed	—	No public access site of this lake’s own in the MN DNR water access and fishing site records. Private, commercial and informal launches are not all in these records, so this is not evidence that access is poor — the component is excluded and the remaining weights are renormalized.
Road isolation	Modest	3.1 of 21	substantial nearby higher-volume roads · 13 MnDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 18,630 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 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 — 30% 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) and MnDOT Annual Average Daily Traffic (counts 2021–2025). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from DNR surveys

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).

Common Carp

White Sucker

Golden Shiner

About these fish → the Fish of Minnesota guide

Compiled from Minnesota DNR fishery surveys. 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 1977

342Fish sampled

11Species

Gamefish Northern Pike 5 · Walleye 3 · Muskellunge 2

Panfish Bluegill 155 · Black Crappie 64 · White Crappie 3

All survey species11 species

Gamefish

Northern Pike5 caught

Walleye3 caught

Muskellunge2 caught

Panfish

Bluegill155 caught

Black Crappie64 caught

White Crappie3 caught

Bullhead & catfish

Black Bullhead87 caught

Yellow Bullhead1 caught

Forage & nongame

Common Carp17 caught

White Sucker3 caught

Golden Shiner2 caught

This survey reported catch counts without lengths. Source: Minnesota DNR lake survey (LakeFinder).

Infested waters listing

1 confirmed, 1 via connection

Mussels & snails

Zebra MusselListed in 2012 because this water is connected to Minnetonka (27-0133). The species has not necessarily been found in this lake.

Plants & algae

Eurasian WatermilfoilConfirmed in this water in 1988 (listed 1999).

How to identify invasive species in Minnesota lakes →

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

Tanager Lake — common questions

How deep is Tanager Lake?

The deepest contour on the Minnesota DNR bathymetric survey of Tanager Lake is 20 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 Tanager Lake?

Tanager Lake covers about 54 acres in Hennepin County, Minnesota.

What fish are in Tanager Lake?

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

Is there public access to Tanager Lake?

No public launch for Tanager Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR access data. That is not the same as the lake being private -- private and commercial launches are not in that source.

More lakes in Hennepin County