Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest July 1, 2019
Caroline Lake FishingFWater-quality grade F
Minnesota DNR surveys at Caroline Lake average 6.57 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 7 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 1, 2019. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–18 inches. In Wright County, Minnesota, Caroline Lake carries an overall water-quality grade of F. Water clarity averages 3.5 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 Caroline Lake
17 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 Caroline Lake
No stocking record for Caroline 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 Caroline Lake average 6.57 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 7 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 1, 2019. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–18 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Caroline Lake F 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
7 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2019-07-01 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 22.24 | 0.65 lb |
| Bluegill | 13.01 | 0.22 lb |
| Black Crappie | 10.68 | 0.31 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 6.57 | 1.65 lb |
| Northern Pike | 2.77 | 3.14 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.
Black Bullhead
Bluegill
Black Crappie
Largemouth Bass
From the 2019-07-01 survey
Lake Caroline is a 126 acre lake located along the Clearwater River in Wright County east of the city of Fairhaven. The lake has a surface area of 126 acres with a maximum depth of 45 feet and a mid-summer secchi depth of 5 feet. Lake Caroline has no public access; however it can be accessed from Lake Augusta via the…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Caroline Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — CarolineFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Caroline Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Caroline Lake average 6.57 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 7 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 1, 2019. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–18 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 17 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 Caroline Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Caroline Lake is dated July 1, 2019. 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 Caroline Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Caroline 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 Caroline Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Caroline Lake F 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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