Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest August 20, 2025
Crane Lake FishingNRNot rated for water quality
Minnesota DNR surveys at Crane Lake average 13.48 smallmouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 17 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated August 20, 2025. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 3–19 inches. In St. Louis County, Minnesota, Crane Lake has no letter grade — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Water clarity averages 6.3 feet of visibility, and there are 3 public boat landings. 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 Crane Lake
12 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 Crane Lake
No stocking record for Crane 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
3 public boat landings are recorded on Crane Lake. Minnesota DNR lists the public access sites, including ramp type and parking, in the documents below.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR surveys at Crane Lake average 13.48 smallmouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 17 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated August 20, 2025. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 3–19 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 Crane Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, 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
17 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-20 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Smallmouth Bass | 13.48 | 0.98 lb |
| Walleye | 7.82 | 0.8 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 6.00 | 0.6 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 5.50 | 0.14 lb |
| Northern Pike | 2.02 | 3.04 lb |
| White Sucker | 1.99 | 2.16 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.
Smallmouth Bass
Walleye
Tullibee (Cisco)
Yellow Perch
From the 2025-08-20 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Crane Lake on August 20th, 2025, 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, also…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Crane Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — CraneFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Crane (1910)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — CranePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Crane Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Crane Lake average 13.48 smallmouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 17 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated August 20, 2025. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 3–19 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 12 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 Crane Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Crane Lake is dated August 20, 2025. 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 Crane Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Crane 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 Crane 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 Crane Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, 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.
Where to stay near Crane Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Crane Lake
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