Snowbank Lake
Lake County, Minnesota4,655 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Snowbank Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- spiny waterflea
- 150 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Snowbank Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 15.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 7.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 150 ft. Surface area: 4654.83 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 5, 2022 caught 0.75 walleye per gill net at Snowbank Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 17–28 inches. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Snowbank Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 140 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Snowbank Lake is a 4,655-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Lake County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 150 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 11 documented fish species including burbot, cisco species, and lake trout. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 34 other monitored lakes in Lake County, Snowbank Lake ranks #23 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-30. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Snowbank Lake covers about 4,700 acres in Lake County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 29, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Snowbank Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Snowbank Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water15.1 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing11 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 29
- Deep water150 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water4,655 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Snowbank Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Snowbank Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Snowbank Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 15.1 ft down. Phosphorus 7.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.5 µg/L. TSI 35.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 15.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 7.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 1.5µg/L | Measured, not scored The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 35 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Snowbank Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Snowbank Lake typically sits around 59°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 59°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 62°F) and coldest in Jun (about 55°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (55°F) to its warmest (62°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 90 field readings (2019–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Snowbank Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 5, 2022 caught 0.75 walleye per gill net at Snowbank Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 17–28 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Snowbank Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-07-29 (Targeted Survey).
9 surveys on file · most recent 2024-07-29 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 8.54 | 6–14 in 2022-07-05 | 0.24 lb |
| Rock Bass | 7.83 | 5–8 in 2017-07-31 | 0.19 lb |
| Walleye | 3.94 | 17–28 in 2022-07-05 | 2.27 lb |
| White Sucker | 2.71 | 7–23 in 2017-07-31 | 2.67 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
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.
Tullibee (Cisco)
Rock Bass
Walleye
White Sucker
From the 2024-07-29 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Snowbank Lake on July 29th, 2024, to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Lake Trout, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake (Cisco, also known…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Snowbank Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SnowbankFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Snowbank (1898)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — SnowbankFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — SnowbankPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
150 ft
Surface area
4,655 acres
Shoreline
43.1 mi
Littoral zone
19%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
28 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,417 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Snowbank LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Snowbank Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Snowbank Lake in Lake 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 Snowbank Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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 trip? Cabins and lodging at Snowbank Lake → · more Minnesota lake trips
Follow Snowbank Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Snowbank Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2021–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving3 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 29
Earliest Mar 30, 2012 · Latest May 12, 2008
Most recent ice-out
Apr 16
2017
16 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Lake County
Frequently asked questions about Snowbank Lake
Where is Snowbank Lake?
- Snowbank Lake is a lake in Lake County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Snowbank Lake?
- Snowbank Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 15.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 7.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 150 ft. Surface area: 4654.83 acres.
Is Snowbank Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Snowbank Lake?
- Snowbank Lake typically sits around 59°F at the surface in September, from 90 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2019–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Snowbank Lake?
- Snowbank Lake has a maximum depth of 150 feet. The lake covers 4654.83 acres.
What fish are in Snowbank Lake?
- Fish species found in Snowbank Lake include burbot, cisco species, lake trout, northern pike, northern pike (silver phase), rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Snowbank Lake is located in Lake County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Snowbank Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 5, 2022 caught 0.75 walleye per gill net at Snowbank Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 17–28 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Snowbank Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Snowbank Lake thaw?
- Snowbank Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 29.
Are there boat ramps on Snowbank Lake?
- Snowbank Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Snowbank Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Snowbank Lake?
- Snowbank Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Snowbank Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Lake County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Lake Superior Basin (MN+WI), ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Other Lakes in Minnesota
Oligotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Compare Snowbank Lake With Nearby Lakes
Where this data comes from
32 measurements from 6 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA32 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (6)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from 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