Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest June 11, 2023
Species recorded at Beast Lake
2 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 Beast Lake
No stocking record for Beast 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's Standard Survey on June 11, 2023 caught 2.17 northern pike per gill net at Beast Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 21–28 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Beast Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, 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
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-06-11 (Standard Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 2023-06-11 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smallmouth Bass | 2.90 | 6–17 in 2023-06-11 | 1.12 lb |
| Northern Pike | 1.11 | 21–28 in 2023-06-11 | 3.04 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.
Smallmouth Bass
Northern Pike
From the 2023-06-11 survey
Beast Lake is located approximately 28 miles ESE of International Falls on the Kabetogama Peninsula in Voyageurs National Park. Access is limited to a portage trail from the west end of Mica Bay on Namakan Lake. Beast is a Class 10 lake with a total surface area of 85 acres, maximum depth of 66 feet and a mean depth…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Beast Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BeastFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Beast Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 11, 2023 caught 2.17 northern pike per gill net at Beast Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 21–28 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 2 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 Beast Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Beast Lake is dated June 11, 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 Beast Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Beast 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 Beast Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Beast Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, 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
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 Beast Lake
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