Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest September 27, 2021
Bonnie Lake FishingNRNot rated for water quality
Minnesota DNR surveys at Bonnie Lake average 6.67 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 2 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated September 27, 2021. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 30–30 inches. In Crow Wing County, Minnesota, Bonnie Lake has no letter grade — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Water clarity averages 17.0 feet of visibility. 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 Bonnie Lake
7 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 Bonnie Lake
No stocking record for Bonnie 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 Bonnie Lake average 6.67 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 2 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated September 27, 2021. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 30–30 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on Bonnie Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, 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
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2021-09-27 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow Bass | 22.08 | 0.71 lb |
| Bluegill | 14.25 | 0.16 lb |
| Northern Pike | 6.67 | 4.21 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 4.13 | 0.23 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 2.00 | 0.1 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 2.00 | 1.61 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 Bass
Bluegill
Northern Pike
Hybrid Sunfish
From the 2021-09-27 survey
Bonnie is a 76 acre lake in the center of Crow Wing County with a maximum depth of 42 feet and no public access. Two single frame 3/8" trap nets were walked out from shore on September 27, 2021 and left overnight to get a sample of the species found in the lake. Seven species were captured, with Yellow Bullhead…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Bonnie Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BonnieFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Bonnie (0442)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Bonnie Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Bonnie Lake average 6.67 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 2 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated September 27, 2021. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 30–30 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 7 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 Bonnie Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Bonnie Lake is dated September 27, 2021. 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 Bonnie Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Bonnie 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 Bonnie Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on Bonnie Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, 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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