Medium-Depth Lakes (20-50 ft) in Minnesota & Wisconsin

Q: Why are medium-depth lakes popular for fishing?

Medium-depth lakes (20-50 ft) offer the best mix of habitat zones. They are deep enough to maintain a cool-water layer that supports walleye and northern pike, while the shallower areas grow abundant weed beds that attract panfish and bass. This habitat diversity means more fish species and better all-around fishing.

Q: Are medium-depth lakes good for swimming?

Many medium-depth lakes offer excellent swimming conditions. They warm up enough for comfortable summer swimming while maintaining better water quality than very shallow lakes. The depth helps moderate temperature and reduces algae growth compared to lakes under 15 feet deep.

Lakes between 20 and 50 feet deep in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Medium-depth lakes offer the best balance of warm and cool water habitat, supporting the widest variety of fish species.

Deep (50+ ft)Medium (20-50 ft)Shallow (<20 ft)

100

Total Lakes

100

Minnesota

Wisconsin

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Area	Fish
1	Clearwater Lake	Lake	MN	A	46 ft	640.18 acres	0
2	Big Sugar Bush Lake	Becker	MN	A	42 ft	521.51 acres	13
3	Birch Lake	Unknown	MN	A	34 ft	836.35 acres	10
4	Round Lake	Cook	MN	A	45 ft	154.48 acres	5
5	Pike Lake	Cook	MN	A	45 ft	814.43 acres	7
6	Long Lake	Cass	MN	A	37 ft	246.3 acres	12
7	Dead Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	34 ft	130.64 acres	9
8	Maple Lake	Itasca	MN	A	39 ft	254.55 acres	13
9	Sunshine Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	37 ft	79.45 acres	0
10	Clear Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	24 ft	573.5 acres	14
11	Clear Lake	Itasca	MN	A	30 ft	140.4 acres	9
12	Bear Lake	Lake	MN	A	31 ft	44.37 acres	4
13	Blue Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	48 ft	177.32 acres	0
14	Eagle Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	46 ft	907.4 acres	10
15	Partridge Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	42 ft	187.56 acres	10
16	Charlotte Lake	Wright	MN	A	46 ft	252.52 acres	10
17	Big Mcdonald Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	46 ft	991.7 acres	15
18	Bass Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	47 ft	121 acres	14
19	Island Lake	Cass	MN	A	45 ft	358.3 acres	12
20	Island Lake	Cass	MN	A	40 ft	184.26 acres	13
21	Island Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	32 ft	225.21 acres	13
22	Island Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	36 ft	125.92 acres	9
23	Crooked Lake	Stearns	MN	A	35 ft	77.08 acres	10
24	Eagles Nest Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	49 ft	1.0K acres	9
25	Strawberry Lake	Becker	MN	A	40 ft	1.5K acres	16
26	George Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	A	34 ft	228.14 acres	15
27	Middle Cormorant Lake	Becker	MN	A	40 ft	373.19 acres	13
28	Mcavity Lake	Itasca	MN	A	29 ft	147 acres	9
29	Brickyard Lake	Carver	MN	A	43 ft	13.64 acres	0
30	Ox Yoke Lake	Cass	MN	A	42 ft	185.33 acres	13
31	Silver Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	29 ft	45.63 acres	10
32	Silver Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	23 ft	208.41 acres	6
33	Crystal Lake	Cass	MN	A	40 ft	190.2 acres	10
34	Mary Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	48 ft	235.22 acres	14
35	Stuart Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	49 ft	739.74 acres	14
36	Little Bass Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	22 ft	362.57 acres	0
37	Little Bass Lake	Clearwater	MN	A	35 ft	50.54 acres	0
38	Little Hubert Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	41 ft	193.94 acres	0
39	Napoleon Lake	Itasca	MN	A	30 ft	138 acres	8
40	East Twin Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	45 ft	163.33 acres	10
41	Elbow Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	46 ft	188.36 acres	11
42	Emma Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	50 ft	78.43 acres	11
43	Schultz Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	48 ft	210.34 acres	11
44	Perch Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	40 ft	265.91 acres	12
45	Placid Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	39 ft	183.44 acres	0
46	Sanburn Lake	Cass	MN	A	48 ft	220.31 acres	12
47	Pine Lake	Cass	MN	A	25 ft	260.5 acres	10
48	Little Armstrong Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	26 ft	69.68 acres	2
49	Little Long Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	45 ft	322.24 acres	11
50	Owl Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	26 ft	90.37 acres	4
51	Rose Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	31 ft	58.9 acres	0
52	Maud Lake	Becker	MN	A	32 ft	517.01 acres	15
53	Sturgeon Lake	Pine	MN	A	40 ft	1.7K acres	15
54	Leo Lake	Cook	MN	A	28 ft	102.4 acres	3
55	Little Pelican Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	34 ft	271.38 acres	12
56	Mirror Lake	Itasca	MN	A	45 ft	109.11 acres	8
57	Whiskey Lake	Douglas	MN	A	46 ft	159.52 acres	13
58	Clamshell Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	44 ft	211.06 acres	18
59	Bonnie Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	42 ft	76.11 acres	7
60	Little Star Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	30 ft	49.24 acres	13
61	Moon Lake	Douglas	MN	A	38 ft	139.09 acres	12
62	Armstrong Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	34 ft	382.34 acres	10
63	Hunter Lake	Cass	MN	A	48 ft	181.82 acres	0
64	Sugar Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	45 ft	415.87 acres	13
65	Dumbbell Lake	Lake	MN	A	40 ft	406.11 acres	6
66	Lost Lake	Cass	MN	A	26 ft	68.5 acres	0
67	Lost Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	44 ft	124.07 acres	8
68	Stony Lake	Cass	MN	A	50 ft	563.21 acres	12
69	St. Marys Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	44 ft	234.16 acres	14
70	Deep Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	50 ft	73.13 acres	10
71	Spring Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	36 ft	600.34 acres	0
72	Bad Axe Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	39 ft	303.26 acres	13
73	Sagatagan Lake	Stearns	MN	A	42 ft	227.37 acres	1
74	Ojibway Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	22 ft	184.06 acres	7
75	Spirit Lake	Wadena	MN	A	45 ft	113.9 acres	8
76	Widow Lake	Cass	MN	A	46 ft	197.5 acres	12
77	St. Mary'S Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	44 ft	234.16 acres	14
78	Lottie Lake	Douglas	MN	A	31 ft	46.37 acres	14
79	Swamp Lake	Unknown	MN	A	50 ft	108.63 acres	0
80	Knieff Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	42 ft	44.33 acres	0
81	East Silent Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	48 ft	323.6 acres	13
82	South Sugar Lake	Itasca	MN	A	36 ft	82.72 acres	8
83	Moses Lake	Douglas	MN	A	32 ft	823.82 acres	17
84	South Twin Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	45 ft	221.54 acres	11
85	Barnum Lake	Cass	MN	A	30 ft	151.34 acres	8
86	Mule Lake	Cass	MN	A	47 ft	524.58 acres	11
87	Mule Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	31 ft	53.36 acres	0
88	Little Webb Lake	Cass	MN	A	37 ft	226.04 acres	13
89	Lower Cullen Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	39 ft	559.97 acres	16
90	Fawn Lake	Cass	MN	A	29 ft	46.35 acres	0
91	Pillager Lake	Cass	MN	A	39 ft	205.01 acres	12
92	Ruth Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	39 ft	599.2 acres	12
93	Cherry Lake	Lake	MN	A	30 ft	18.65 acres	0
94	Canoe Lake	Cook	MN	A	40 ft	96.41 acres	4
95	Indiana Lake	Lake	MN	A	31 ft	143.04 acres	7
96	Mckeown Lake	Cass	MN	A	37 ft	167.96 acres	0
97	Waboose Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	32 ft	175.23 acres	6
98	Big Island Lake	Itasca	MN	A	42 ft	243.82 acres	6
99	North Union Lake	Douglas	MN	A	42 ft	118.41 acres	13
100	Parent Lake	Lake	MN	A	50 ft	450.97 acres	9

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are medium-depth lakes popular for fishing?

Medium-depth lakes (20-50 ft) offer the best mix of habitat zones. They are deep enough to maintain a cool-water layer that supports walleye and northern pike, while the shallower areas grow abundant weed beds that attract panfish and bass. This habitat diversity means more fish species and better all-around fishing.

Are medium-depth lakes good for swimming?

Many medium-depth lakes offer excellent swimming conditions. They warm up enough for comfortable summer swimming while maintaining better water quality than very shallow lakes. The depth helps moderate temperature and reduces algae growth compared to lakes under 15 feet deep.