Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest July 18, 2016
Species recorded at Bello Lake
12 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 Bello Lake
No stocking record for Bello 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
1 public boat landing is recorded on Bello Lake. 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 July 18, 2016 caught 5.62 northern pike per gill net at Bello Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 14–36 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bello Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
6 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2016-07-18 (Standard Survey).
6 surveys on file · most recent 2016-07-18 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 12.47 | 5–19 in 2016-07-18 | 1 lb |
| Bluegill | 9.13 | 3–8 in 2016-07-18 | 0.17 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 4.95 | 8–18 in 2016-07-18 | 0.92 lb |
| Northern Pike | 4.92 | 14–36 in 2016-07-18 | 1.55 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 2.80 | 5–7 in 2016-07-18 | 0.21 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 1.63 | 3–8 in 2016-07-18 | 0.32 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.
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
Tullibee (Cisco)
Northern Pike
From the 2016-07-18 survey
Bello Lake is located about 5 miles north of Marcell, MN, and within the Chippewa National Forest. The 493 acre lake has 251 littoral acres, a maximum depth of 58 feet with no connectivity. There is an earthen DNR administered access on the east shore between the north and south basin. The lake management plan was…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Bello Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BelloFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Bello (0816)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BelloPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Bello Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 18, 2016 caught 5.62 northern pike per gill net at Bello Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 14–36 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 12 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 Bello Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Bello Lake is dated July 18, 2016. 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 Bello Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Bello 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 Bello Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bello Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. 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 Bello Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Bello Lake
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