Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest August 17, 2015
Cruiser Lake FishingBWater-quality grade B
Minnesota DNR surveys at Cruiser Lake average 7.89 lake trout per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 3 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated August 17, 2015. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–20 inches. In St. Louis County, Minnesota, Cruiser Lake carries an overall water-quality grade of B. Water clarity averages 25.4 feet of visibility. 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 Cruiser Lake
2 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 Cruiser Lake
No stocking record for Cruiser 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 Cruiser Lake average 7.89 lake trout per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 3 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated August 17, 2015. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–20 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Cruiser Lake B from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2015-08-17 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Trout | 7.89 | 1.15 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 6.22 | 0.12 lb |
| White Sucker | 2.72 | 2.42 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.
Lake Trout
Yellow Perch
White Sucker
From the 2015-08-17 survey
A targeted survey was completed on Cruiser Lake in 2015 as part of a regular rotation of surveys in the International Falls Management Area. Cruiser is a deep, clear lake in the heart of Voyageurs National Park. The lake has a maximum depth of 91 feet and water clarity of nearly 30 feet during the peak of the summer.…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Cruiser Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — CruiserFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Cruiser Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Cruiser Lake average 7.89 lake trout per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 3 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated August 17, 2015. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–20 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 2 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 Cruiser Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Cruiser Lake is dated August 17, 2015. 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 Cruiser Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Cruiser 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 Cruiser Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Cruiser Lake B from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 5 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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