Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest June 17, 2024
Species recorded at Bush 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 Bush Lake
No stocking record for Bush 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.
Getting on the water
1 public boat landing is recorded on Bush 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 June 17, 2024 caught 0.25 northern pike per trap net at Bush Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 23–24 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bush 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
15 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-06-17 (Targeted Survey).
15 surveys on file · most recent 2024-06-17 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 123.86 | 4–7 in 2024-06-17 | 1.05 lb |
| Bluegill | 28.44 | 3–8 in 2024-06-17 | 0.07 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 10.56 | 3–6 in 2024-06-17 | 0.11 lb |
| Northern Pike | 9.18 | 23–24 in 2024-06-17 | 1.8 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 8.91 | 2–6 in 2024-06-17 | 0.07 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 7.89 | 7–13 in 2024-06-17 | 0.6 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.
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
Hybrid Sunfish
Northern Pike
From the 2024-06-17 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Bush Lake was conducted on June 17th, 2024, by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Bush Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BushFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BushPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Bush Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 17, 2024 caught 0.25 northern pike per trap net at Bush Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 23–24 inches. 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 Bush Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Bush Lake is dated June 17, 2024. 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 Bush Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Bush 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.
Do the water-quality readings tell me how Bush Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bush 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 Bush Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Bush Lake
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