Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest July 16, 2018
Battle Lake FishingAWater-quality grade A
Minnesota DNR surveys at Battle Lake average 3.99 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 14 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 16, 2018. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 17–26 inches. In Itasca County, Minnesota, Battle Lake carries an overall water-quality grade of A. Water clarity averages 8.2 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 Battle Lake
11 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 Battle Lake
No stocking record for Battle 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 Battle Lake average 3.99 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 14 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 16, 2018. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 17–26 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Battle Lake A from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
14 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2018-07-16 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 6.28 | 0.17 lb |
| Bluegill | 5.53 | 0.41 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 4.14 | — |
| Northern Pike | 3.99 | 1.51 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
Bluegill
Northern Pike
From the 2018-07-16 survey
Battle Lake is a 199 acre lake located east of Effie, MN in the Bigfork River watershed. The lake has a maximum depth of 15 feet and is part of a navigable chain of lakes including Pickerel and Deer Lakes. The lake has limited development, and the primary access is through a shallow channel from Pickerel Lake. All…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Battle Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BattleFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Battle (0791)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Battle Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Battle Lake average 3.99 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 14 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 16, 2018. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 17–26 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 11 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 Battle Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Battle Lake is dated July 16, 2018. 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 Battle Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Battle 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 Battle Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Battle Lake A from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 5 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
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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