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Namakan Lake

Crane Lake · Northwest St. Louis, Minnesota — St. Louis County.

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12,159Surface acres
1Public access sites
0.4 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 120019374).

Location & fast facts

Where Namakan Lake is in Minnesota

The red circle marks Namakan Lake.

Fast facts

About Namakan Lake

  • County: St. Louis
  • Shore towns: Crane Lake, Northwest St. Louis
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 241 mi from Minneapolis and 119 mi from Duluth, straight-line (not driving distance)

Towns and counties: U.S. Census Bureau boundaries overlaid on the USGS lake outline.

Fishing in Minnesota

Official Minnesota DNR pages. Rules and fees change; check before you go.

Good for & watch for

Good for

  • Boating. 1 public trailer launch listed (see access)
  • Fishing. Walleye, Northern pike, Smallmouth bass and Lake trout
  • Walking. 0.4 mi of trail near the shore (trails)
  • Camping. 141 campgrounds within 15 mi, 42 on the shore (list)

Watch for

  • Non-native/invasive species. Spiny waterflea recorded. Clean, drain and dry your boat and gear.
  • Boat traffic. A public trailer launch means motorboats share the water; expect more traffic on summer weekends.
  • Cold water. Water stays cold well into late spring and turns cold again in fall. Wear a life jacket when paddling in the shoulder seasons.

Built only from the data on this page: official access lists, OpenStreetMap beaches and trails, campground listings, state and USGS invasive-species records. We don't rate crowds or water quality.

Official lake survey (Minnesota DNR)

150 ftMaximum depth
44.5 ftAverage depth
24,066Acres (state figure)

Fish species found in Minnesota DNR lake surveys: Black bullhead, Black crappie, Bluegill, Burbot, Cisco species, Lake sturgeon, Lake trout, Lake whitefish, Northern pike, Pumpkinseed, Rainbow smelt, Redhorse, Rock bass, Sauger, Smallmouth bass, Walleye, White sucker, Yellow perch.

Shallow (littoral) area: 5,026 of 24,066 acres

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources LakeFinder record for Namakan Lake (DOW 69069300), with lake survey reports, depth maps and stocking history. Acreage here can differ slightly from our mapped outline.

Lake map

Namakan Lake shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Aspen Bench (campground)Birch Cove Island (campground)Catamaran (campground)Day Marker 23 (campground)Depthfinder Island (campground)Fox Island (campground)Hamilton Island East (campground)Hammer Bay Point (campground)Hammer Bay South (campground)Hoist Bay (campground)Johnson Bay (campground)Junction Bay (campground)Kettle Portage (campground)Leach Bay (campground)Mcmanus Island West (campground)Mica Island (campground)My Island South (campground)My Island West (campground)Namakan Entrance (campground)Namakan Island East (campground)Namakan Island Nort (campground)Namakan Island South (campground)Namakan Island West (campground)North Mitchell Isla (campground)Old Dutch Bay (campground)Pat Smith Island (campground)Pike Bay (campground)Rainbow Island (campground)Rusty Island (campground)Sandbar Point (campground)Sexton Island (campground)Sheen Point (campground)Steakhouse Point (campground)Torry Fish Camp (campground)Voyageurs Narrows (campground)Williams Island North (campground)Williams Island South (campground)Windbreak Point (campground)Wolf Pack Island Ce (campground)Wolf Pack Island East (campground)Wolf Pack Island West (campground)Your Island (campground)Boat ramp (Boat launch)11 mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchShoreline trail Campground
  1. 1Boat ramp
    Boat launch · Northwest St. Louis

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 120019374), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: Minnesota DNR public water access sites (Minnesota Geospatial Commons) and OpenStreetMap boat ramps (ODbL). Dashed trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.

Shoreline trails

0.4 miTrail within 100 m of shore
Under 5%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
North shoreWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 0.4 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Namakan Lake shoreline, mostly along the north shore.

Trails along the shore

Getting to the trails

No trailhead is mapped for these trails. The closest public access site is Boat ramp, 0.1 mi from a shoreline trail (Minnesota DNR water access data).

The dashed brown line on the lake map shows these trails. We include paths, footways and marked trails that OpenStreetMap doesn't mark as private, and leave out roads, sidewalks and snowmobile corridors. Mapped trails can still cross private land or close for the season, and not every trail is mapped, so follow posted signs.

Trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). Map data as of Oct 9, 2026. Trail lengths count only the parts within about 100 m of the USGS NHD lake outline.

Campgrounds near Namakan Lake

We found 141 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Namakan Lake, 93 of them within 5 miles. 42 are right on the shore. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

14 more within 15 miles

All campgrounds & RV parks in Minnesota

Green tent icons on the lake map mark campgrounds near the shore, and the interactive map shows the closest 12. Amenities are listed only where a source records them; call or check the campground's website before you go, since seasons and rates change every year.

Campground data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Pulled Oct 12, 2026.

Conditions right now

Air temperature & conditions (nearest NWS station)Loading…
Fetching the latest National Weather Service observation…

Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (48.4492, -92.8010). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Namakan Lake. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.

Sun, moon & best fishing times

Sun & moon at Namakan Lake

Best fishing times

Major periodMinor periodDaylight

    Based on solunar theory, an estimate. Major periods (about 2 hours) center on when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot; minor periods (about 1 hour) center on moonrise and moonset. The 0–100 activity score rises during those periods and gets a boost near sunrise and sunset and around the new and full moon. Weather, water temperature and pressure often matter more. Sun and moon times are calculated in your browser from the lake's coordinates with standard astronomy formulas, shown in CT (America/Chicago), and accurate to within a few minutes.

    Boat launches & access sites

    1 public access site listed, 1 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Boat rampNorthwest St. Louis—Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating48.5005, -92.6422

    Minnesota DNR public water access sites (Minnesota Geospatial Commons) and OpenStreetMap boat ramps (ODbL)

    Fees, hours and rules change; confirm with the site owner before you go.

    Non-native/invasive species

    Reported on or near Namakan Lake

    Clean, Drain, Dry. Remove plants and mud, drain all water, and dry your boat, trailer and gear before moving to another water.

    USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database

    USGS records matched to this water by location (within about 150 m of the outline) or by the place name in the record. A record shows a sighting was reported; it doesn't prove the species is still there. As of Oct 10, 2026.

    Contact & official info

    Questions about Namakan Lake

    How big is Namakan Lake?

    Namakan Lake covers about 12,159 acres in Crane Lake and Northwest St. Louis, Minnesota (St. Louis County).

    How deep is Namakan Lake?

    The maximum recorded depth is 150 feet and the mean depth is 44 feet, according to the Minnesota DNR LakeFinder.

    What fish are in Namakan Lake?

    Minnesota DNR LakeFinder lists Walleye, Northern pike, Smallmouth bass, Lake trout, Sauger, Black crappie, Bluegill, Yellow perch, Lake sturgeon and Lake whitefish and 8 more.

    Is there a public boat launch on Namakan Lake?

    Yes. 1 public trailer launch is listed: Boat ramp. Check posted fees and parking rules.

    Are there campgrounds near Namakan Lake?

    Yes. We list 141 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 93 of them within 5 miles.

    What towns are on Namakan Lake?

    Namakan Lake touches Crane Lake and Northwest St. Louis in St. Louis County, Minnesota.

    Share a tip or fishing report

    Know Namakan Lake? Tell us about the launch, parking, where they're biting or anything a first-time visitor should know. Tips go privately to the LakeRipple editor; nothing is posted automatically. Helpful tips may be featured on this page (we'll use your first name only if you give one).

    Lakes & ponds nearby

    Straight-line distance between lake centers. All Minnesota lakes & ponds · All waters in Crane Lake