Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest July 11, 2017
Black Lake FishingAWater-quality grade A
Minnesota DNR surveys at Black Lake average 5.64 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 3 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 11, 2017. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 16–34 inches. In Beltrami County, Minnesota, Black Lake carries an overall water-quality grade of A. Water clarity averages 10.3 feet of visibility, and the lake has public access. The survey figures on this page are Minnesota DNR's own; the water-quality grade comes from EPA Water Quality Portal samples. Neither is a forecast of today's bite.
Species recorded at Black Lake
13 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 Black Lake
No stocking record for Black 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 surveys at Black Lake average 5.64 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 3 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 11, 2017. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 16–34 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Black Lake A from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. 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: 2017-07-11 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 44.70 | 0.16 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 16.61 | 0.64 lb |
| Northern Pike | 5.64 | 2.51 lb |
| Black Crappie | 3.99 | 0.44 lb |
| Bluegill | 1.79 | 0.47 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 1.65 | 0.17 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE means more abundant in standardized sampling. This 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.
Yellow Perch
Northern Pike
Black Crappie
Bluegill
From the 2017-07-11 survey
Black Lake is a relatively quiet and remote waterbody located north of Three Island Lake in south-central Beltrami County. The lake covers 271 acres and has a maximum depth of 42 feet. Water clarity is roughly 8 feet. The lake flows into Three Island Lake on the Turtle River chain though a culvert under Black Lake…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Black Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BlackFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Black Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Black Lake average 5.64 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 3 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 11, 2017. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 16–34 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 13 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 Black Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Black Lake is dated July 11, 2017. 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 Black Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Black 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.
Does the water-quality grade tell me how Black Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Black Lake A from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 6 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
A water-quality grade is 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 can grade well and still carry a meal limit on larger predator fish.
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