Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest September 7, 1994
Species recorded at Courthouse 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 Courthouse Lake
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for this lake — which species went in, how many, and in which years. Read the years: a lake stocked in one year is not necessarily stocked in the next.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 7, 1994 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Courthouse Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Courthouse 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
4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1994-09-07 (Standard Survey).
4 surveys on file · most recent 1994-09-07 (Standard Survey)
32 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 8.02 | 6–11 in 1994-09-07 | 0.24 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 4.77 | 0.08 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 4.50 | 13–31 in 1994-09-07 | 1.35 lb |
| White Crappie | 2.96 | 3–9 in 1994-09-07 | 0.17 lb |
| Black Crappie | 2.28 | 3–10 in 1994-09-07 | 0.29 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 1.63 | 5–13 in 1994-09-07 | 0.39 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.
Black Bullhead
Northern Pike
White Crappie
Black Crappie
From the 1994-09-07 survey
The Courthouse Lake fish population has changed significantly in recent years due to flooding. The 1993 flood allowed many species found in the Minnesota River to migrate into the lake, including northern pike. Since Courthouse is a designated trout lake, northern pike are not a desirable species to have present.…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Courthouse Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — CourthouseFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — CourthouseFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Courthouse Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 7, 1994 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at Courthouse Lake. 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 Courthouse Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Courthouse Lake is dated September 7, 1994. 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 Courthouse Lake stocked?
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for Courthouse Lake. It records which species were released, in what numbers and in which years — the source documents are linked further down this page. A lake can be stocked in some years and not others, so read the years rather than assuming an annual release.
Do the water-quality readings tell me how Courthouse Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Courthouse 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 Courthouse Lake
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