Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest August 5, 2024
Species recorded at Clamshell Lake
18 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 Clamshell Lake
No stocking record for Clamshell 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 Clamshell 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 June 10, 2024 caught 10.67 northern pike per gill net at Clamshell Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Clamshell Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, 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
11 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-08-05 (Targeted Survey).
11 surveys on file · most recent 2024-08-05 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 22.08 | 2–8 in 2024-06-10 | 0.13 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 5.69 | 6–15 in 2024-06-10 | 0.92 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 5.61 | 3–5 in 2024-06-10 | 0.1 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 5.60 | 5–11 in 2024-06-10 | 0.44 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
Green Sunfish
Yellow Bullhead
From the 2024-08-05 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen profiles were collected in the deepest basin in Clamshell Lake on August 14, 2024, to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Lake Whitefish, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake (Cisco are also present).…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Clamshell Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ClamshellFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — ClamshellPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Clamshell Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 10, 2024 caught 10.67 northern pike per gill net at Clamshell Lake. Minnesota DNR lists 18 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 Clamshell Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Clamshell Lake is dated August 5, 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 Clamshell Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Clamshell 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 Clamshell Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Clamshell Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, 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
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 Clamshell Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Clamshell Lake
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