Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest October 10, 2025
Species recorded at Buffalo Lake
20 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 Buffalo 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
2 public boat landings are recorded on Buffalo Lake. Minnesota DNR lists the public access sites, including ramp type and parking, in the documents below.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 22, 2024 caught 31.43 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Buffalo Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Buffalo Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, 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
20 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-10-10 (Targeted Survey).
20 surveys on file · most recent 2025-10-10 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fathead Minnow | 41.11 | ||
| Black Bullhead | 36.53 | 4–13 in 2024-07-22 | 0.58 lb |
| Walleye | 35.77 | 7–24 in 2025-10-10 | 1.48 lb |
| Bluegill | 34.00 | 2–8 in 2024-07-22 | 0.2 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 29.46 | 3–11 in 2024-07-22 | 0.17 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.
Black Bullhead
Walleye
Bluegill
Yellow Perch
From the 2025-10-10 survey
Buffalo Lake is a 1,552-acre general development lake located within the City of Buffalo in Wright County and is within the North Fork Crow River watershed. The lake has a maximum depth of 33 feet with an average depth of 15 feet, but poor water quality with a 10-yr average summer water clarity of three feet. Walleye…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Buffalo Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BuffaloFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — BuffaloFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BuffaloPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Buffalo Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 22, 2024 caught 31.43 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Buffalo Lake. Minnesota DNR lists 20 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 Buffalo Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Buffalo Lake is dated October 10, 2025. 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 Buffalo Lake stocked?
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for Buffalo 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 Buffalo Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Buffalo Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, 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
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 Buffalo Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Buffalo Lake
Prices for Oct 16–18, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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