Snowbank Lake

How big is Snowbank Lake?

How deep is Snowbank Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Snowbank Lake?

Are there topographical lake maps available Snowbank Lake?

We have an topograpical map for online viewing near the top of this page. Lake-Link Pro users can download an print a topograpical map of Snowbank Lake (.pdf format) along with 2,700 more lake maps. For more information on all the benefits of Lake-Link Pro click here.

Snowbank Lake

Are there boat launches on Snowbank Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Snowbank Lake?

What aquatic invasive species are found in Snowbank Lake?

Snowbank Lake is a 4,655 acre lake located 18 miles east of Ely. The lake can be reached by road through three accesses and by canoe through five portages to and from nearby lakes. The main public access is located in the southern part of the lake off the Snowbank Road. Just north of this ramp is a canoe access. Snowbank Lake is a popular entry point to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) for canoers. The southern part of Snowbank is outside the BWCAW and any size boat with any size horsepower motor can be used. The north part of the lake is within the BWCAW and only outboards that are 25 horsepower or less are allowed. People can access the wilderness side of the lake for day-trips in canoes with self-issued permits at the access. People intending to camp or motor into the allowed portion of the BWCAW on Snowbank must obtain an overnight or motor use permit from a US Forest Service District office.

Snowbank has a maximum depth of 150 feet and has clear water. For its size, the lake only has three relatively minor inlets. A tributary comes in on the north shore from Wooden Leg Lake, and two small rivers (an unnamed stream and the outlet of Parent Lake) come into Pickerel Bay on the south side. The only outlet goes out the northeast corner to Boot Lake. Snowbank is a prototypical northern Minnesota/Canadian shield waterbody with shorelines covered in tall pines, areas of tall granite ledge rock, exceptionally clear water and much of the shoreline undeveloped. The only road accessible area is along the south shore. Some of these areas are lightly developed with homes and cabins. Lake bottom substrates along the shoreline are mostly boulder and ledgerock. Some bays have soft bottoms with a minimal amount of aquatic vegetation. Snowbank Lake is a two-story fishery with deep, cold, well oxygenated water capable of supporting a cold water fishery and a shallow, warmer, but still well oxygenated area capable of supporting a cool and warm water fishery.

The overall deep water gillnet catch rate for all fish combined was 21.1 fish/net which was the second highest on record for Snowbank Lake. Yield was 25.7 lbs/net which was the highest on record for the lake. Fish species sampled in deep water gill nets were cisco, burbot, lake trout, and walleye.

The deep water gillnet catch for lake trout in 2022 was 2.9 fish/net which was the second highest catch rate on record for the lake and ranked 16th out of 38 recent investigations of lake trout populations in the Tower area. Lengths ranged from 8 to 35 inches with an average of nearly 23 inches, which was the highest on record for Snowbank Lake. The 35 inch fish was also the largest lake trout ever captured in survey nets on Snowbank. Mean weight was an impressive 5 pounds. Twenty lake trout were aged with ages ranging from 3 to 23 years. Growth rates for all ages were fast when compared to the average of all lake trout lakes in the Tower area. The average 8 year old lake trout was just over 21 inches on Snowbank.

One hundred-fifty-six cisco were caught in deep water gill nets for a catch rate of 13.0 fish/net. This was the second highest catch rate on record for the lake and better than average compared to other lakes in the Tower area. Sizes were 7 to 15 inches with an average of nearly 9 inches.

Snowbank has proven to be one of the best burbot lakes in the area. The 2022 deep water gillnet catch was 4.4 fish/net which was the second best catch rate of all surveys from Snowbank and ranks first when compared to all other surveys from burbot lakes in the area. Lengths ranged from 12 to nearly 23 inches with an average of 17 inches. Ages ranged from 3 to 18 years.

What is the average air temp for Snowbank Lake?