Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest July 7, 2014
Species recorded at Buchanan Lake
8 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 Buchanan 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 Buchanan 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 7, 2014 caught 2.67 walleye per gill net at Buchanan Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Buchanan Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
7 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2014-07-07 (Standard Survey).
7 surveys on file · most recent 2014-07-07 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 46.15 | 3–8 in 2014-07-07 | 0.15 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 15.06 | 7–13 in 2014-07-07 | 0.82 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 7.00 | 5–8 in 2014-07-07 | 0.31 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 6.61 | 4–10 in 2014-07-07 | 0.13 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 6.60 | 3–8 in 2014-07-07 | 0.21 lb |
| Northern Pike | 6.23 | 13–27 in 2014-07-07 | 1.71 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.
Bluegill
Yellow Bullhead
Hybrid Sunfish
Yellow Perch
From the 2014-07-07 survey
Buchanan Lake is a 929-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in east-central Otter Tail County approximately two miles north of Ottertail, MN. The lake has a maximum depth of 42 feet; however, 90% of the lake is less than 15 feet in depth. The secchi disc reading in this assessment was 11.8 feet. Previous…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Buchanan Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BuchananFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Buchanan (1128)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — BuchananFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BuchananPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Buchanan Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 7, 2014 caught 2.67 walleye per gill net at Buchanan Lake. Minnesota DNR lists 8 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 Buchanan Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Buchanan Lake is dated July 7, 2014. 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 Buchanan Lake stocked?
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for Buchanan 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 Buchanan Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Buchanan Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 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 Buchanan Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Buchanan Lake
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