Snail (Ramsey)

Snail Lake in Ramsey County, Minnesota

This lake has 8 Layers or 15 Layers for HD Version

Snail Lake is a 158-acre class 38 lake located in northern Ramsey County in the city of Shoreview, approximately 15 miles north of downtown Minneapolis-Saint Paul. The lake features 2 miles of shoreline and reaches a maximum depth of 30 feet, making it a popular recreational destination for metro-area residents. Snail Lake includes a 35-acre wetland on its northwest side and under normal conditions functions as a landlocked basin, though during extreme high-water conditions it may outlet to the south into the Grass Lake subwatershed. During low-water periods, the lake's water levels are augmented by pumping from nearby Sucker Lake to maintain adequate depths for recreation and wildlife habitat. The lake can experience wide fluctuations in water levels throughout the year, which impacts both fishing conditions and shoreline accessibility. Bordered by Snail Lake Regional Park on its southern shore, the lake provides convenient public access including a boat launch, swimming beach, picnic areas, and shore fishing opportunities. Snail Lake is primarily managed by the Minnesota DNR for largemouth bass and northern pike, with walleye and bluegill as secondary management species, and walleye fry are stocked biennially at a rate of 2,000 per littoral acre.

Snail Lake offers excellent year-round fishing opportunities and is particularly known for its bass and panfish action, supporting healthy populations of northern pike, largemouth bass, walleye, black crappie, bluegill, yellow perch, and various bullhead species. Northern pike fishing has shown significant improvement in recent surveys, with catch rates above average for similar lakes and over half of sampled pike exceeding 21 inches in length, including trophy fish reaching up to 34 inches. The lake experienced a significant winterkill event during the winter of 2012-13, prompting additional stocking efforts of walleye fry, adult black crappie, and pre-spawn adult largemouth bass in 2014 to rebuild fish populations. Snail Lake Regional Park, part of the larger Vadnais-Snail Lakes Regional Park system encompassing 1,252 acres of woods and lakes, provides outstanding amenities including volleyball courts, large playgrounds, pavilions, picnic shelters, and extensive biking and hiking trails connecting to the regional trail system. The park offers ample parking with spaces for 161 vehicles near the beach area and additional parking near the pavilion, along with dedicated boat trailer parking for anglers. Located in the heart of Shoreview's residential area, Snail Lake provides convenient access to metro amenities while offering a peaceful natural setting, and the surrounding park lands are operated by Ramsey County in cooperation with St. Paul Regional Water Services, ensuring protected shorelines and quality habitat for the diverse fish and wildlife populations that call the lake home.

Dimensions:

Small: 8"x12"

Medium: 12"x18"

Large: 16"x24"

Extra Large: 20"x30"

XX Large: 24"x36"

Gigantic 30"x45"

HD Extra Large: 20"x30" - 15 Layers

HD XX Large: 24"x36" - 15 Layers

HD Gigantic 30"x45" - 15 Layers

The difference between standard and HD maps is the number of layers. Standard maps have 1 land layer and 7 water layers. " The HD lake maps have 1 land layer and 14 water layers. So twice the detail. The HD Maps are limited to Extra Large, " XX Large, and Gigantic sizes only. On the smaller sizes the depth change of the wood is too extreme and you end up losing detail."