Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest August 5, 2019
Ames Lake FishingAWater-quality grade A
Minnesota DNR surveys at Ames Lake average 7.42 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 8 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated August 5, 2019. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 1–6 inches. In Itasca County, Minnesota, Ames Lake carries an overall water-quality grade of A. Water clarity averages 10.0 feet of visibility, and the lake has public access. The survey figures on this page are Minnesota DNR's own; the water-quality grade comes from EPA Water Quality Portal samples. Neither is a forecast of today's bite.
Species recorded at Ames Lake
13 species on the Minnesota DNR list for this lake. A species on the list has been recorded here; it does not mean it is catchable today or in every part of the lake.
Stocking at Ames Lake
No stocking record for Ames Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is an absence in the published record, not a confirmation that the lake is unstocked — some waters are managed as naturally reproducing and never appear in a stocking list at all.
Getting on the water
Minnesota DNR lists the public access sites, including ramp type and parking, in the documents below.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR surveys at Ames Lake average 7.42 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 8 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated August 5, 2019. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 1–6 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Ames Lake A from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
8 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2019-08-05 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 19.66 | 0.19 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 7.42 | 0.13 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 5.46 | — |
| Northern Pike | 4.10 | 1.36 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE means more abundant in standardized sampling. This is not a weekly bite report.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Yellow Perch
Largemouth Bass
Northern Pike
From the 2019-08-05 survey
Whitefish Lake is located 3 miles south of Wirt, MN in the Big Fork River watershed and the Chippewa National Forest. The 2009 lake management plan (LMP) listed Walleye and Northern Pike as primary management species and Black Crappie as secondary management species. A standard lake survey was conducted in August 2019…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Ames Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — WhitefishFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Whitefish (0680)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — WhitefishPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Ames Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Ames Lake average 7.42 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 8 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated August 5, 2019. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 1–6 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 13 species for the lake in total. Those are survey results, not a catch report: a net set on one date measures what was in that net.
When was Ames Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Ames Lake is dated August 5, 2019. Survey intervals vary by lake and by species; a gap of several years between surveys is normal and does not mean the record is missing.
Is Ames Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Ames Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is not the same as a confirmed unstocked lake: it means no stocking document was published for it in the records this page draws on.
Does the water-quality grade tell me how Ames Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Ames Lake A from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Before you eat what you catch
A water-quality grade is not a consumption advisory. Mercury and PCB advice for Minnesota waters comes from MDH, and it is issued per species and per size class — a lake can grade well and still carry a meal limit on larger predator fish.
Where to stay near Ames Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Ames Lake
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