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Sleepy Eye Lake

Home · Sleepy Eye, Minnesota — Brown County.

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208Surface acres
1Public access sites
1.0 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 84623682).

Location & fast facts

Where Sleepy Eye Lake is in Minnesota

The red circle marks Sleepy Eye Lake.

Fast facts

About Sleepy Eye Lake

  • County: Brown
  • Shore towns: Home, Sleepy Eye
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 86 mi from Minneapolis and 213 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, Largemouth bass and Black crappie
  • Swimming. 1 public beach or swim spot on the map (details)
  • Walking. 1.0 mi of trail near the shore (trails)
  • Camping. 13 campgrounds within 15 mi, 1 on the shore (list)

Watch for

  • Non-native/invasive species. Curly-leaf pondweed 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.
  • No lifeguard listed. None of our sources lists a staffed lifeguard. Swim at your own risk and watch children closely.
  • 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)

21 ftMaximum depth
7 ftAverage depth
241Acres (state figure)

Fish species found in Minnesota DNR lake surveys: Black bullhead, Black crappie, Bluegill, Channel catfish, Common carp, Hybrid sunfish, Largemouth bass, Northern pike, Walleye, Yellow perch.

Shallow (littoral) area: 203 of 241 acres

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources LakeFinder record for Sleepy Eye Lake (DOW 08004500), with lake survey reports, depth maps and stocking history. Acreage here can differ slightly from our mapped outline.

Lake map

Sleepy Eye Lake shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Sleepy Eye Campground (campground)Sleepy Eye Lake Public Water Access Site (Boat launch)1Swimming Beach (Beach)2¼ mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchBeachShoreline trail Campground
  1. 1Sleepy Eye Lake Public Water Access Site
    Boat launch · Home
  2. 2Swimming Beach
    Beach

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 84623682), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: Minnesota DNR public water access sites (Minnesota Geospatial Commons). Dashed trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.

Shoreline trails

1.0 miTrail within 100 m of shore
About 50%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
East, south and west shoresWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 1.0 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Sleepy Eye Lake shoreline, mostly along the east, south and west shores. They follow about 50% of the shore, so you can walk most of the way around but not a full loop.

Trails along the shore

Getting to the trails

No trailhead is mapped for these trails. The closest public access site is Sleepy Eye Lake Public Water Access Site, 50 ft 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 Sleepy Eye Lake

We found 13 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Sleepy Eye Lake, 1 of them within 5 miles. 1 is right on the shore. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

7 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 (44.3067, -94.7324). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Sleepy Eye 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 Sleepy Eye 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
    Sleepy Eye Lake Public Water Access SiteHomeCity of Sleepy EyeTrailer launch · Concrete slab ramp · dock20 trailer, 6 car—Fishing, Boating
    Restroom
    44.3087, -94.7277

    Minnesota DNR public water access sites (Minnesota Geospatial Commons)

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

    Public beaches

    On OpenStreetMap: 1 beach or swimming spot on the shore of Sleepy Eye Lake not marked private, residents-only or members-only.

    BeachTypeAccessDirections
    Swimming BeachBeachPublic accessGet directions

    Beaches: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), within about 150 m (500 ft) of the lake outline. A mapped beach is not a guarantee that swimming is allowed, supervised or safe; some town beaches need a resident sticker even when the map doesn't say so. Check posted rules and water-quality advisories before you swim.

    Non-native/invasive species

    Reported on or near Sleepy Eye 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 Sleepy Eye Lake

    How big is Sleepy Eye Lake?

    Sleepy Eye Lake covers about 208 acres in Home and Sleepy Eye, Minnesota (Brown County).

    How deep is Sleepy Eye Lake?

    The maximum recorded depth is 21 feet and the mean depth is 7 feet, according to the Minnesota DNR LakeFinder.

    What fish are in Sleepy Eye Lake?

    Minnesota DNR LakeFinder lists Walleye, Northern pike, Largemouth bass, Black crappie, Bluegill, Yellow perch, Channel catfish, Black bullhead, Common carp and Hybrid sunfish.

    Is there a public boat launch on Sleepy Eye Lake?

    Yes. 1 public trailer launch is listed: Sleepy Eye Lake Public Water Access Site. Check posted fees and parking rules.

    Can you swim in Sleepy Eye Lake?

    OpenStreetMap shows 1 public beach or swimming spot on the shore. None of our sources lists a lifeguard, so swim at your own risk and follow posted rules.

    Are there campgrounds near Sleepy Eye Lake?

    Yes. We list 13 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 1 of them within 5 miles.

    What towns are on Sleepy Eye Lake?

    Sleepy Eye Lake touches Home and Sleepy Eye in Brown County, Minnesota.

    Share a tip or fishing report

    Know Sleepy Eye 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).

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