Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest August 10, 2023
Barbour Lake FishingNRNot rated for water quality
Minnesota DNR surveys at Barbour Lake average 10.38 bluegill per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 5 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated August 10, 2023. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 3–9 inches. In Crow Wing County, Minnesota, Barbour Lake has no letter grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Water clarity averages 9.5 feet of visibility. 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 Barbour Lake
9 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 Barbour Lake
No stocking record for Barbour 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.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR surveys at Barbour Lake average 10.38 bluegill per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 5 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated August 10, 2023. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 3–9 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on Barbour Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
5 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-08-10 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 43.67 | 0.46 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 13.23 | — |
| Bluegill | 10.38 | 0.15 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.
Tullibee (Cisco)
Bluegill
From the 2023-08-10 survey
A temperature-dissolved oxygen profile was collected in the deepest basin on Barbour Lake on August 16, 2023, to evaluate the amount of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Cisco, also known as Tullibee. Based on the profile, the top of the thermocline (i.e., the location in the water column…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Barbour Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BarbourFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Barbour Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Barbour Lake average 10.38 bluegill per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 5 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated August 10, 2023. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 3–9 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 9 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 Barbour Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Barbour Lake is dated August 10, 2023. 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 Barbour Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Barbour 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 Barbour Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on Barbour Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter. 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.
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