Minnesota Lake Depths
NESW

Three Island Lake

Beltrami County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey
25ft Max
depth
729 acres 5 contours Public access
Paddling Index72Goodwooded shoreline · away from major roads
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Depth scale

The lake

Survey readout

Three Island Lake is mapped to a depth of 25 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 729 acres in Beltrami County, Minnesota. Depths come from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1971.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour
25 ft
Survey year
1971
Surface area
729 acres
Shoreline
7.41 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation
15% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access
Trailer Launch · Three Island Lake Public Water Access Site · Minnesota DNR site
Additional depth details5 contours
Contour depths
0–25 ft
Recorded point soundings
25 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
47.62194, -94.79653
MN DNR lake ID
04013400
Vertical exaggeration
2.83×
Basemap
USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size
2.3 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-25
72 / 100GoodData confidence: High

Three Island Lake has a heavily wooded and largely undeveloped setting, moderate open-water exposure, limited nearby major-road exposure.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

ComponentRatingPoints of weightMeasurement
Natural settingExcellent33.2 of 3591% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (30% forest, 60% wetland; 6% developed)
Geometric wind exposureGood11.2 of 29mean fetch 1,790 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · moderate open-water 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 181 DNR public access site · boat ramp
Road isolationVery Good12.6 of 18limited nearby major-road exposure · 1 MnDOT-classified segment within 1.2 km, peak 407 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
Moderate — approximately 15% 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 — 30% forest and 60% 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). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from DNR surveys & active stocking

16 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 2021
601Fish sampled
16Species

Gamefish Northern Pike 96 · Walleye 29 · Largemouth Bass 11 · Bowfin 2

Panfish Bluegill 102 · Pumpkinseed 98 · Yellow Perch 72

All survey species16 species

Gamefish

Northern Pike96 caught · to 32″
Walleye29 caught · to 21″
Largemouth Bass11 caught · to 15″
Bowfin2 caught · to 23″

Panfish

Bluegill102 caught · to 9″
Pumpkinseed98 caught · to 8″
Yellow Perch72 caught · to 10″
Rock Bass26 caught · to 10″
Black Crappie16 caught · to 11″
Hybrid Sunfish4 caught · to 8″

Bullhead & catfish

Yellow Bullhead102 caught · to 14″
Brown Bullhead15 caught · to 16″

Forage & nongame

White Sucker21 caught · to 21″
Shorthead Redhorse5 caught · to 20″
Cisco1 caught · to 16″
Sunfish1 caught · to 3″
Length is the largest fish netted in the survey, not an angler record. Source: Minnesota DNR lake survey (LakeFinder).

DNR stocking

state stocking record · 2019–2025

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

Walleye1,265,000 stocked · 2019–2025 · 4 plantings
Source: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking report. LakeFinder lists the last 10 years of stocking only.

Infested waters listing

1 confirmed

Plants & algae

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

Three Island Lake — common questions

How deep is Three Island Lake?

The deepest contour on the Minnesota DNR bathymetric survey of Three Island Lake is 25 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 Three Island Lake?

Three Island Lake covers about 729 acres in Beltrami County, Minnesota.

What fish are in Three Island Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin. The page lists all 16 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Three Island Lake?

Yes. The Minnesota DNR lists a public access site on Three Island Lake: a boat ramp with a boat dock. It is administered by the DNR Division of Parks and Trails. DNR directions: "Southwest of Ten Strike, take Hwy 71 south to Gull Lake Loop Rd NE, to 3 Island Rd NE, to Three Island County Park."