Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest June 11, 2001
Barnum Lake FishingAWater-quality grade A
Minnesota DNR surveys at Barnum Lake average 12.02 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 2 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated June 11, 2001. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–21 inches. In Cass County, Minnesota, Barnum Lake carries an overall water-quality grade of A. Water clarity averages 16.1 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 Barnum Lake
8 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 Barnum Lake
No stocking record for Barnum 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 Barnum Lake average 12.02 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 2 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated June 11, 2001. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–21 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Barnum Lake A from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2001-06-11 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 42.58 | 0.23 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 12.02 | 0.95 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 6.92 | 0.19 lb |
| Smallmouth Bass | 5.42 | 0.76 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 4.78 | 0.22 lb |
| Black Crappie | 3.76 | 0.35 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.
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Pumpkinseed
Smallmouth Bass
From the 2001-06-11 survey
Barnum Lake has an area of 134 acres and a maximum depth of 30 feet. About two-thirds of Barnum Lake is 15 feet or less in depth. Barnum Lake is located about nine miles east and three miles north of Hackensack, MN. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR) has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Barnum Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BarnumFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Barnum Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Barnum Lake average 12.02 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 2 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated June 11, 2001. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–21 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 8 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 Barnum Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Barnum Lake is dated June 11, 2001. 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 Barnum Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Barnum 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 Barnum Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Barnum Lake A from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. 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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