Thole Lake

Scott County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey

10ft Max
depth

119 acres 2 contours Public access

Paddling Index53Modestsheltered geometry

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Depth scale

0510

The lake

Survey readout

Thole Lake is mapped to a depth of 10 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 119 acres in Scott County, Minnesota.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 10 ft
Surface area: 119 acres
Shoreline: 4.85 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 10% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Trailer Launch · Thole Lake Public Water Access Site · Minnesota DNR site · 1 more

Additional depth details2 contours

Contour depths: 0–10 ft
Recorded point soundings: 10 ft

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Location

Scott County, Minnesota · 15 nearest of 17 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: 44.73895, -93.52941
MN DNR lake ID: 70012001
Vertical exaggeration: 3.0×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.2 MB

Paddling

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

53 / 100ModestData confidence: High

Thole Lake has a substantially developed setting, well sheltered geometry, nearby higher-volume roads.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

Component	Rating	Points of weight	Measurement
Natural setting	Modest	3.9 of 35	29% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (16% forest, 12% wetland; 40% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Excellent	29.4 of 29	mean fetch 457 m · 59% 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	Good	15.0 of 18	2 DNR public access sites · boat ramp · fishing pier
Road isolation	Mixed	4.6 of 18	nearby higher-volume roads · 8 MnDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 3,150 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 10% 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 — 16% 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 2018–2025). 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).

White Sucker

Hybrid Sunfish

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 2023

982Fish sampled

11Species

Gamefish Largemouth Bass 84 · Northern Pike 52

Panfish Bluegill 614 · Black Crappie 53 · Hybrid Sunfish 31

All survey species11 species

Gamefish

Largemouth Bass84 caught · to 19″

Northern Pike52 caught · to 29″

Panfish

Bluegill614 caught · to 7″

Black Crappie53 caught · to 11″

Hybrid Sunfish31 caught · to 7″

Pumpkinseed14 caught · to 7″

Green Sunfish1 caught · to 4″

Yellow Perch1 caught · to 5″

Bullhead & catfish

Black Bullhead68 caught · to 12″

Forage & nongame

Golden Shiner62 caught · to 8″

White Sucker2 caught · to 19″

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

Infested waters listing

1 confirmed

Plants & algae

Eurasian WatermilfoilConfirmed in this water in 2001 (listed 2002).

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

Thole Lake — common questions

How deep is Thole Lake?

The deepest contour on the Minnesota DNR bathymetric survey of Thole Lake is 10 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 Thole Lake?

Thole Lake covers about 119 acres in Scott County, Minnesota.

What fish are in Thole Lake?

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

Is there public access to Thole Lake?

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

More lakes in Scott County