Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest July 17, 1989
Stocking at Copper Lake
No stocking record for Copper 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's Standard Survey on July 17, 1989 caught 1.75 northern pike per gill net at Copper Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Copper Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1989-07-17 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 1989-07-17 (Standard Survey)
37 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Pike | 1.75 | 1.71 lb | |
| White Sucker | 0.75 | 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.
From the 1989-07-17 survey
A FEW NORTHERN PIKE ARE PRESENT, BUT NO LARGE FISH WERE SAMPLED. THERE APPEARS TO BE A RELA- TIVELY STRONG 1986 YEAR CLASS, BUT SEVERAL OTHERS ARE WEAK OR MISSING. GROWTH IS FAST BY COOK COUNTY STANDARDS.
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Copper Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — CopperFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Copper Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 17, 1989 caught 1.75 northern pike per gill net at Copper Lake. Those are survey results, not a catch report: a net set on one date measures what was in that net.
When was Copper Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Copper Lake is dated July 17, 1989. 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 Copper Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Copper 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 Copper Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Copper Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. 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.
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