Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest July 6, 2021
Species recorded at Crawford 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 Crawford 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.
Getting on the water
1 public boat landing is recorded on Crawford 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 July 6, 2021 caught 2.00 walleye per gill net at Crawford Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Crawford Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is declining. 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: 2021-07-06 (Standard Survey).
8 surveys on file · most recent 2021-07-06 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 57.36 | 5–13 in 2021-07-06 | 0.71 lb |
| Bluegill | 31.51 | 3–7 in 2021-07-06 | 0.1 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 24.56 | 5 in 2019-06-14 | 0.09 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 23.70 | 8–10 in 2021-07-06 | 0.36 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 13.22 | 3–8 in 2021-07-06 | 0.12 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 12.03 | 4–6 in 2021-07-06 | 0.12 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.
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
Green Sunfish
Black Bullhead
From the 2021-07-06 survey
Crawford Lake is a 109 acre lake located five miles south of the city of Buffalo in Wright County. The lake is shallow (max. depth of 19 feet) with a history of winterkill. The lake was reclaimed using rotenone in 1998, but not all bullheads were killed. An aeration system was purchased and has been used since 2001 to…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Crawford Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — CrawfordFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — CrawfordFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — CrawfordPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Crawford Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 6, 2021 caught 2.00 walleye per gill net at Crawford Lake. 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 Crawford Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Crawford Lake is dated July 6, 2021. 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 Crawford Lake stocked?
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for Crawford 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 Crawford Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Crawford Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 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 Crawford Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Crawford Lake
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