Lakes / Minnesota / Turtle River
Turtle River, Minnesota
1,740 acres
Surface Area
63 ft
Max Depth
20 ft
Average Depth
17.29 mi
Shoreline
1,313 ft
Surface Elevation
Where It Sits, and How Deep It Goes
Locator - Minnesota
47.58 degrees N, 94.72 degrees W - Beltrami County. State and county outlines drawn from Census boundary data; the lake marker is placed by its Minnesota DNR coordinates, not by eye. Schematic - not a survey map.
Depth Profile - Turtle River
Schematic cross-section drawn to one shared depth scale - not a survey or bathymetric map.
How Turtle River Stacks Up
- Its average depth of 20 ft is more than 2 times a typical shallow Minnesota lake, which averages under 10 ft.
- About 88 miles from Brainerd, as the crow flies.
- 18 fish species on the DNR list for this lake.
Fish Species
WalleyeNorthern PikeLargemouth BassBlack CrappieBluegillPumpkinseedYellow PerchLake WhitefishCiscoBurbotRock BassBowfinBrown BullheadHybrid SunfishShorthead RedhorseTadpole MadtomWhite SuckerYellow Bullhead
Species recorded for this lake. Presence only - no abundance ratings.
Facts and Figures
Lake ID (DOW)04011100
CountyBeltrami
Average Water Clarity9.2 ft
Coordinates47.5762, -94.7154
Deepest Natural Lakes in Minnesota
| # | Lake | County | Surface Area | Max Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mahnomen, Alstead & Arco Mine | Crow Wing | 272 acres | 525 ft |
| 2 | Sabin | St. Louis | 156 acres | 465 ft |
| 3 | Gilbert Pit | St. Louis | 243 acres | 443 ft |
| 4 | Portsmouth Mine | Crow Wing | 149 acres | 395 ft |
| 5 | St James Pit | St. Louis | 124 acres | 381 ft |
Largest Lakes in Minnesota
| # | Lake | County | Surface Area | Max Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake of the Woods | Lake of the Woods | 725,583 acres | 210 ft |
| 2 | Rainy | St. Louis | 210,200 acres | 161 ft |
| 3 | Mille Lacs | Mille Lacs | 128,250 acres | 42 ft |
| 4 | Red (Upper Red) | Beltrami | 119,294 acres | 15 ft |
| 5 | Leech | Cass | 103,444 acres | 150 ft |
Sources: Minnesota DNR lake data (ID 04011100); USGS. Verified October 30, 2026.