Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest September 22, 2025
Species recorded at Belle Lake
16 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 Belle Lake
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for this lake — which species went in, how many, and in which years. Read the years: a lake stocked in one year is not necessarily stocked in the next.
Getting on the water
2 public boat landings are recorded on Belle Lake. Minnesota DNR lists the public access sites, including ramp type and parking, in the documents below.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 22, 2024 caught 9.67 walleye per gill net at Belle Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–14 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Belle Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
33 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-09-22 (Targeted Survey).
33 surveys on file · most recent 2025-09-22 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spottail Shiner | 110.22 | 2–3 in 2008-06-09 | 0.01 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 43.65 | 6–13 in 2024-07-22 | 0.43 lb |
| Walleye | 34.23 | 6–14 in 2025-09-22 | 1.67 lb |
| Black Crappie | 13.19 | 4–7 in 2024-07-22 | 0.2 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 9.51 | 5–7 in 2024-07-22 | 0.14 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 7.79 | 3–6 in 2016-06-06 | 0.11 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.
Spottail Shiner
Black Bullhead
Walleye
Black Crappie
From the 2025-09-22 survey
A targeted survey (fall nighttime electrofishing) was conducted on Belle Lake on September 22nd, 2025, to evaluate young of the year (YOY) and yearling Walleye abundance. A total of 27 YOY were sampled for a catch rate of 27.0 fish/hr., which was below the lake's historical (1993 to 2025) median (52.2 fish/hr.). This…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Belle Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Belle LakeFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Belle LakeFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Belle LakePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Belle Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 22, 2024 caught 9.67 walleye per gill net at Belle Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 6–14 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 16 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 Belle Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Belle Lake is dated September 22, 2025. 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 Belle Lake stocked?
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for Belle Lake. It records which species were released, in what numbers and in which years — the source documents are linked further down this page. A lake can be stocked in some years and not others, so read the years rather than assuming an annual release.
Do the water-quality readings tell me how Belle Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Belle Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. 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 Belle Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Belle Lake
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