Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest August 14, 2023
Species recorded at Buck Lake
12 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 Buck 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 Buck 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 August 14, 2023 caught 3.11 walleye per gill net at Buck Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Buck Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
14 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-08-14 (Standard Survey).
14 surveys on file · most recent 2023-08-14 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spottail Shiner | 36.70 | ||
| Bluntnose Minnow | 33.26 | ||
| Bluegill | 20.06 | 3–9 in 2023-08-14 | 0.13 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 9.94 | 5–18 in 2023-08-14 | 0.81 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 9.61 | 6 in 2023-08-14 | 0.09 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
Largemouth Bass
Golden Shiner
From the 2023-08-14 survey
Buck Lake is a shallow, productive lake located north of Nashwauk, MN in the Mississippi River watershed. The lake is highly developed and has a small public access on the southwest side of the lake. Buck Lake supports a variety of species of aquatic vegetation with good habitat for panfish and Largemouth Bass. The…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Buck Lake. 5 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BuckFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Buck (0627)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Buck (2056)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — BuckFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BuckPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Buck Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 14, 2023 caught 3.11 walleye per gill net at Buck Lake. Minnesota DNR lists 12 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 Buck Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Buck Lake is dated August 14, 2023. 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 Buck Lake stocked?
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for Buck 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 Buck Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Buck Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 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
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 Buck Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Buck Lake
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