Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest June 27, 2022
Species recorded at Balsam Lake
14 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 Balsam Lake
No stocking record for Balsam 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
1 public boat landing is recorded on Balsam Lake. Minnesota DNR lists the public access sites, including ramp type and parking, in the documents below.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 27, 2022 caught 0.08 walleye per gill net at Balsam Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Balsam Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
13 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-06-27 (Standard Survey).
13 surveys on file · most recent 2022-06-27 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 11.78 | 3–8 in 2022-06-27 | 0.15 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 6.33 | 8–15 in 2022-06-27 | 0.82 lb |
| Black Crappie | 5.22 | 4–12 in 2022-06-27 | 0.29 lb |
| Northern Pike | 4.56 | 14–36 in 2022-06-27 | 2.46 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 2.98 | 7–19 in 2022-06-27 | 1.37 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 2.08 | 5–8 in 2022-06-27 | 0.11 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and 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.
Bluegill
Tullibee (Cisco)
Black Crappie
Northern Pike
From the 2022-06-27 survey
Balsam Lake is a class 25 lake located 14 miles north of Taconite, MN. The lake has one public access and is moderately developed. Balsam Lake has a history of producing large Northern Pike. A special regulation was implemented in the spring of 2006 to maintain or improve size structure. The regulation requires all…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Balsam Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BalsamFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Balsam (0621)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BalsamPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Balsam Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 27, 2022 caught 0.08 walleye per gill net at Balsam Lake. Minnesota DNR lists 14 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 Balsam Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Balsam Lake is dated June 27, 2022. 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 Balsam Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Balsam 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.
Do the water-quality readings tell me how Balsam Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Balsam Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Before you eat what you catch
Water-quality readings are 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 with clear, low-nutrient water can still carry a meal limit on larger predator fish.
Where to stay near Balsam Lake
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