Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest July 11, 2005
Brownie Lake FishingDWater-quality grade D
Minnesota DNR surveys at Brownie Lake average 23.77 bluegill per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 5 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 11, 2005. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–6 inches. In Hennepin County, Minnesota, Brownie Lake carries an overall water-quality grade of D. Water clarity averages 5.0 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 Brownie Lake
6 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 Brownie Lake
No stocking record for Brownie 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 Brownie Lake average 23.77 bluegill per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 5 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 11, 2005. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–6 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Brownie Lake D from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
5 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2005-07-11 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 23.77 | 0.1 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 9.80 | 0.29 lb |
| Black Crappie | 5.13 | 0.14 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 1.61 | 0.09 lb |
| Yellow Bass | 1.50 | 0.58 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.
Bluegill
Black Bullhead
Black Crappie
Pumpkinseed
From the 2005-07-11 survey
Brownie Lake is a 12-acre, class 30 lake, located near downtown Minneapolis. Brownie Lake, accessible via a channel from Cedar Lake, lies within a chain of lakes that includes Cedar Lake, Lake of the Isles and Lake Calhoun. The sportfish community consists of black crappie, bluegill, and pumpkinseed sunfish. Other…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Brownie Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BrownieFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Brownie Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Brownie Lake average 23.77 bluegill per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 5 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 11, 2005. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–6 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 6 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 Brownie Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Brownie Lake is dated July 11, 2005. 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 Brownie Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Brownie 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 Brownie Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Brownie Lake D from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. 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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