Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest June 1, 2022
Crooked Lake FishingAWater-quality grade A
Minnesota DNR surveys at Crooked Lake average 44.96 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 7 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated June 1, 2022. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–15 inches. In Stearns County, Minnesota, Crooked Lake carries an overall water-quality grade of A. Water clarity averages 15.5 feet of visibility, and the lake has public access. 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 Crooked 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 Crooked Lake
No stocking record for Crooked 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 surveys at Crooked Lake average 44.96 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 7 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated June 1, 2022. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–15 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Crooked Lake A from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, 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
7 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-06-01 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 44.96 | 0.73 lb |
| Bluegill | 41.16 | 0.12 lb |
| Northern Pike | 5.46 | 1.14 lb |
| Yellow Bass | 5.45 | 0.67 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 4.74 | 0.18 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 4.67 | 0.14 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.
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
Northern Pike
Yellow Bass
From the 2022-06-01 survey
Long and Crooked Lakes are small, interconnected lakes located three miles southwest of the City of Clearwater. Long Lake is 49 acres and has a maximum depth of 38 feet, while Crooked Lake is 65 acres with a maximum depth of 35 feet. The lakes are connected by a navigable channel on the south end of Long Lake. A…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Crooked Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — CrookedFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Crooked Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Crooked Lake average 44.96 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 7 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated June 1, 2022. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–15 inches. 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 Crooked Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Crooked Lake is dated June 1, 2022. 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 Crooked Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Crooked 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 Crooked Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Crooked Lake A from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, 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.
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