Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest August 1, 2023
Chase Lake FishingNRNot rated for water quality
Minnesota DNR surveys at Chase Lake average 5.87 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 8 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated August 1, 2023. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–17 inches. In Itasca County, Minnesota, Chase Lake has no letter grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Water clarity averages 21.7 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 Chase Lake
10 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 Chase Lake
No stocking record for Chase 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 Chase Lake average 5.87 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 8 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated August 1, 2023. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–17 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on Chase Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
8 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-08-01 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 7.85 | 0.16 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 5.87 | 1.01 lb |
| Northern Pike | 5.54 | 1.48 lb |
| Black Crappie | 4.00 | 0.58 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 3.01 | 0.18 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 2.41 | 0.51 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.
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Northern Pike
Black Crappie
From the 2023-08-01 survey
A temperature-dissolved oxygen profile was collected in the deepest basin on Chase Lake on August 1, 2023, to evaluate the amount of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Cisco, also known as Tullibee. Based on the profile, the top of the thermocline (i.e., the location in the water column…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Chase Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ChaseFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Chase (0610)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Chase Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Chase Lake average 5.87 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 8 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated August 1, 2023. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–17 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 10 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 Chase Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Chase Lake is dated August 1, 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 Chase Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Chase 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 Chase Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on Chase Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter. 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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