Skip to main content
LakeQuality

Snider Lake

C
Grade C — Fair
Fair · #10 of 12 lakes in the county · 8.5 ft clear · Mesotrophic · 634 acres · from B
Limited DataMesotrophic

Snider Lake in Mahnomen County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 8.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 29 ft. Surface area: 633.85 acres.

Clarity
8.5 ft
Max depth
29 ft
Area
634 acres
Type
Mesotrophic
Public access
Yes
Ice-out
Apr 15
Open water
229 days

Next lake in Mahnomen County

ASouth Twin Lake10.2 ft clear · Mahnomen CountyView →
Loading map…

Snider Lake is a 634-acre mesotrophic lake in Mahnomen County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 29 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 2 sampling years through 2023. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 11 other monitored lakes in Mahnomen County, Snider Lake ranks #10 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-09-21. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Watch Snider Lake water quality

Subscribe for LakeQuality updates by email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Swimming Safety

Grade only

Limited data

Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.

Generally safe for swimming, moderate water quality

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Detroit Lakes

Get alerts for Snider Lake

Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)

Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.5 ft. Phosphorus level: 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 9.2 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 49.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)8.5 ftNot graded
Phosphorus21 µg/LGood
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)9.2 µg/LFair
Trophic State Index (TSI)49Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Where to stay near Snider Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Snider Lake in Mahnomen County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.

Top-rated places to stay near Snider Lake

Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.

Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth29 ft
Surface Area634 acres
Shoreline Length5.2 mi
Littoral Zone42%
Public AccessYes

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
20 sq mi
Elevation
1,457 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Recreation & Access

1
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access
  • Snider LakePublic

Fish Species

Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.

Fishing Snider Lake

DNR Fisheries Survey Summary

11 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-08-07 (Targeted Survey).

Top Species by Catch Rate

SpeciesAvg CPUEAvg Weight
Bluegill23.520.19 lb
Yellow Perch12.140.17 lb
Yellow Bass9.960.54 lb
Green Sunfish8.430.08 lb
Hybrid Sunfish7.650.26 lb
Northern Pike6.341.34 lb

CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.

Length Distributions

Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.

Bluegill

820 fish · 29 in · 2023-07-24
2011010trophy 1023456789

Yellow Perch

62 fish · 48 in · 2023-07-24
2412045678

Yellow Bass

368 fish · 512 in · 2023-07-24
13668056789101112

Green Sunfish

1 fish · 33 in · 2023-07-24
103

From the 2023-08-07 survey

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Snider Lake was conducted on August 7th and 8th, 2023, by Detroit Lakes Fisheries Staff. The survey consisted of 14 sampling stations evenly spaced around the lake. All stations were sampled with a backpack electrofishing unit, and 11 were sampled with a 50-foot seine.…

Source: MN DNR LakeFinder Fisheries Lake Survey

DNR Reports & Resources

Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Snider Lake. 4 reports on file.

These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).

Ice Season

Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (8 observations).

Typical Ice-Out
Apr 15
Typical Ice-In
Nov 30

Estimated open water season: 229 days

EarliestLatest
Ice-Out2005-04-10 (2005)2004-04-16 (2004)
Ice-In2003-11-08 (2003)2001-12-01 (2001)

Most recent ice-out: 2005-04-10

County Ranking

Ranked #10 of 12 lakes in Mahnomen County

Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades

Snider Lake holds Grade C. One nearby lake has a higher nutrient-and-algae grade — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.

Nearby Lakes in Mahnomen County

Frequently asked questions about Snider Lake

What is the water quality grade for Snider Lake?

Snider Lake in Mahnomen County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 8.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 29 ft. Surface area: 633.85 acres.

Is Snider Lake safe to swim in?

Generally safe for swimming, moderate water quality. Snider Lake has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 9.2 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

How deep is Snider Lake?

Snider Lake has a maximum depth of 29 feet. The lake covers 633.85 acres.

What fish are in Snider Lake?

Fish species found in Snider Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Snider Lake is located in Mahnomen County, Minnesota.

When does Snider Lake thaw?

Snider Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 15. Ice typically forms around Nov 30. The open water season is approximately 229 days.

Are there boat ramps on Snider Lake?

Snider Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Snider Lake. Public access is listed as yes.

State Parks Near Snider Lake

Where this data comes from

33 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota (White Earth Band) (Tribal)WEARTH_WQX33 samples · 2023

Analytical methods

  • Field measurement/observation, generic method
  • Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
  • 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
  • Turbidity by Nephelometry
Monitoring station identifiers (2)

Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.

Other records on this page

Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)

Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder

Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory

Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate