Minnesota Lake Depths
NESW

Wolf Lake

Beltrami County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey
50ft Max
depth
1,061 acres 7 contours Public access
Paddling Index62Mixedaway from major roads · wooded shoreline
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Depth scale

The lake

Survey readout

Wolf Lake is mapped to a depth of 50 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 1,061 acres in Beltrami County, Minnesota. Depths come from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1977.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour
50 ft
Survey year
1977
Surface area
1,061 acres
Shoreline
7.88 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation
1% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access
Trailer Launch · Wolf Lake Public Water Access Site · Minnesota DNR site
Additional depth details7 contours
Contour depths
0–50 ft
Recorded point soundings
50 ft, 20 ft, 20 ft, 20 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
47.41868, -94.69629
MN DNR lake ID
04007900
Vertical exaggeration
1.98×
Basemap
USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size
2.2 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-25
62 / 100MixedData confidence: High

Wolf Lake has a mostly natural, lightly developed setting, moderate open-water exposure, limited nearby major-road exposure.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

ComponentRatingPoints of weightMeasurement
Natural settingVery Good25.1 of 3573% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (31% forest, 40% wetland; 15% developed)
Geometric wind exposureGood10.1 of 29mean fetch 1,964 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 Good11.5 of 18limited nearby major-road exposure · 6 MnDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 7,739 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
High — 31% forest and 40% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
State water trail
On a state water trail — Part of a designated Minnesota State Water Trail: Mississippi River. · MN DNR State Water Trails
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 2019–2024). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from DNR surveys & active stocking

17 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 2019
1,075Fish sampled
17Species

Gamefish Northern Pike 140 · Walleye 89 · Bowfin 12 · Largemouth Bass 1

Panfish Yellow Perch 592 · Rock Bass 48 · Pumpkinseed 37

All survey species17 species

Gamefish

Northern Pike140 caught · to 31″
Walleye89 caught · to 23″
Bowfin12 caught · to 26″
Largemouth Bass1 caught · to 16″
Muskellunge1 caught · to 22″

Panfish

Yellow Perch592 caught · to 10″
Rock Bass48 caught · to 10″
Pumpkinseed37 caught · to 8″
Bluegill34 caught · to 9″
Black Crappie15 caught · to 13″
Hybrid Sunfish11 caught · to 8″

Bullhead & catfish

Yellow Bullhead18 caught · to 13″
Brown Bullhead5 caught · to 13″

Forage & nongame

White Sucker34 caught · to 20″
Cisco19 caught · to 17″
Shorthead Redhorse18 caught · to 25″
Greater Redhorse1 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 · 2023–2023

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

Walleye500,000 stocked · 2023
Source: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking report. LakeFinder lists the last 10 years of stocking only.

Infested waters listing

1 confirmed, 1 via connection

Mussels & snails

  • Zebra MusselListed in 2014 because this water is connected to Cass (04-0030). The species has not necessarily been found in this lake.

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

Wolf Lake — common questions

How deep is Wolf Lake?

The deepest contour on the Minnesota DNR bathymetric survey of Wolf Lake is 50 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 Wolf Lake?

Wolf Lake covers about 1,061 acres in Beltrami County, Minnesota.

What fish are in Wolf Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, walleye, black crappie, bluegill. The page lists all 17 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Wolf Lake?

Yes. The Minnesota DNR lists a public access site on Wolf Lake: a boat ramp with a boat dock and restrooms. It is administered by the DNR Division of Parks and Trails. DNR directions: "9 mi SE of Bemidji on Hwy 2, then E on Co Rd 4, then E on Co Rd 25, then E and SE on Twp Rd."