Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest August 28, 2023
Species recorded at Bearskin 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 Bearskin Lake
No stocking record for Bearskin 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's Standard Survey on August 28, 2023 caught 0.08 northern pike per trap net at Bearskin Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bearskin Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-08-28 (Standard Survey).
9 surveys on file · most recent 2023-08-28 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Trout | 3.04 | 11–26 in 2023-08-28 | 1.97 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 2.31 | 3–4 in 2023-08-28 | 0.08 lb |
| Smallmouth Bass | 1.27 | 5–19 in 2023-08-28 | 0.83 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 1.11 | 5–6 in 2023-08-28 | 0.19 lb |
| Bluegill | 1.09 | 3–6 in 2023-08-28 | 0.12 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.
Lake Trout
Green Sunfish
Smallmouth Bass
Yellow Perch
From the 2023-08-28 survey
West Bearskin Lake is a 509-acre lake located 23 miles northwest of Grand Marais with a public access boat launch on the east shore of the lake and carry-in portage landing along the south shore. Primary and secondary management species in West Bearskin Lake are lake trout and smallmouth bass. The 2023 standard lake…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Bearskin Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BearskinFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Bearskin (1830)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BearskinPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Bearskin Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 28, 2023 caught 0.08 northern pike per trap net at Bearskin Lake. 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 Bearskin Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Bearskin Lake is dated August 28, 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 Bearskin Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Bearskin 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 Bearskin Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bearskin Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 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 Bearskin Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Bearskin Lake
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