12 miles southeast of Squaw Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota · 47.5372° N, 93.9072° W
Directions to Bowstring Lake (S) Public Water Access SiteApple Maps
Directions open in Google or Apple Maps, to the Minnesota DNR public access sites (3 listed; this is the first).
Updated 15 Oct 2026, 4:59 pm EDT.
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Minnesota DNR lake survey, fetched 15 Oct 2026. Not for navigation.
3 public access sites on Bowstring Lake.
Minnesota DNR public water accesses, fetched 15 Oct 2026.
Minnesota DNR’s latest standard fish survey of Bowstring Lake was in July 2014: 12 gill nets and 14 trap nets caught 13 species. This survey is 12 years old. The DNR also ran a targeted survey in September 2025; this section uses the latest standard survey.
Walleye per gill net, standard surveys: 1992 12 · 1996 15 · 2002 7.5 · 2008 10 · 2014 23
Bluegill per trap net, standard surveys: 1992 0.1 · 1996 0.1 · 2002 0.3 · 2008 0.5 · 2014 0.6
Walleye: 271 measured, 3 to 25 in, half 10 in or longer; average 0.7 lb, below normal (normal 1.1–1.9 lb).
Northern pike: 99 measured, 13 to 26 in, half 18 in or longer; average 1.3 lb, below normal (normal 1.7–2.8 lb).
Black crappie: 156 measured, 4 to 11 in, half 6 in or longer; average 0.15 lb, below normal (normal 0.2–0.5 lb).
Bluegill: 8 measured, 7 to 9 in, half 7 in or longer; average 0.5 lb, above normal (normal 0.1–0.2 lb).
Yellow perch: 214 measured, 4 to 11 in, half 7 in or longer; average 0.21 lb, above normal (normal 0.1–0.2 lb).
Also caught: bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, shorthead redhorse, silver redhorse, tullibee (cisco), white sucker.
Source: Minnesota DNR Fisheries lake survey, 28 Jul 2014, via LakeFinder, fetched 15 Oct 2026. Normal range: DNR’s range for lakes of the same class (43 classes, grouped by water chemistry and shape). Each line has its own scale. How we measure
Measured water clarity averages about 5 ft: the Secchi depth across 3 readings, 2008–2021.
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and volunteer Secchi readings, via Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, fetched 15 Oct 2026.
Minnesota DNR lake survey; straight-line miles.
Bowstring Lake is 32 feet at its deepest point, measured by Minnesota DNR survey. It covers 9,528 acres.
Yes. 3 public access sites are listed: Bowstring Lake (S) Public Water Access Site; Bowstring Lake (NE) Public Water Access Site; Bowstring Lake (NW) Public Water Access Site.
Minnesota DNR’s July 2014 standard survey caught 13 species, most often walleye, yellow perch, black crappie and northern pike.
About 62% of the lake's area is deeper than 10 feet, measured from Minnesota DNR depth contours.