Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest September 24, 2025
Species recorded at Big Swan Lake
23 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.
- bigmouth buffalo
- black bullhead
- black crappie
- bluegill
- bowfin (dogfish)
- brown bullhead
- channel catfish
- common carp
- green sunfish
- hybrid crappie
- hybrid sunfish
- largemouth bass
- northern pike
- pumpkinseed
- shorthead redhorse
- silver redhorse
- smallmouth bass
- smallmouth buffalo
- walleye
- white crappie
- white sucker
- yellow bullhead
- yellow perch
Stocking at Big Swan 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
1 public boat landing is recorded on Big Swan 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 29, 2024 caught 17.17 walleye per gill net at Big Swan Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–14 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Big Swan 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
23 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-09-24 (Targeted Survey).
23 surveys on file · most recent 2025-09-24 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | 28.36 | 5–14 in 2025-09-24 | 2.27 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 24.27 | 5–12 in 2024-07-29 | 0.35 lb |
| Black Crappie | 13.33 | 3–12 in 2024-07-29 | 0.31 lb |
| Common Carp | 8.61 | 9–29 in 2024-07-29 | 3.36 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 4.45 | 5–9 in 2024-07-29 | 0.13 lb |
| White Crappie | 3.97 | 9 in 2024-07-29 | 0.51 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.
Walleye
Black Bullhead
Black Crappie
Common Carp
From the 2025-09-24 survey
A targeted survey (fall nighttime electrofishing) was conducted on Big Swan Lake on September 24th, 2025, to evaluate young of the year (YOY) and yearling Walleye abundance. A total of 13 YOY were sampled for a catch rate of 13.0 fish/hr., which was below the lake's historical (1994 to 2025) median (18.6 fish/hr.) and…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Big Swan Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Big SwanFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Big SwanFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Big SwanPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Big Swan Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 29, 2024 caught 17.17 walleye per gill net at Big Swan Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–14 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 23 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 Big Swan Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Big Swan Lake is dated September 24, 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 Big Swan Lake stocked?
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for Big Swan 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 Big Swan Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Big Swan 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 Big Swan Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Big Swan Lake
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