Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest July 29, 2019
Species recorded at Dean 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 Dean 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 Dean 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 29, 2019 caught 2.83 walleye per gill net at Dean Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Dean Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
6 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2019-07-29 (Standard Survey).
6 surveys on file · most recent 2019-07-29 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Crappie | 69.51 | 1–11 in 2019-07-29 | 0.25 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 67.48 | 8–15 in 2019-07-29 | 0.45 lb |
| Bluegill | 55.04 | 3–7 in 2019-07-29 | 0.19 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 14.07 | 6–20 in 2019-07-29 | 2.47 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 13.81 | 5–8 in 2011-07-25 | 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.
Black Crappie
Black Bullhead
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
From the 2019-07-29 survey
Dean Lake is located 3.5 miles southeast of the city of Buffalo in southeastern Wright County. A public access with limited parking is located on the east side of the lake, adjacent to County Road 14. The lake is 173 acres with an average depth of 10 feet and a maximum depth of 20 feet. The lake has poor water clarity…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Dean Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — DeanFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — DeanFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — DeanPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Dean Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 29, 2019 caught 2.83 walleye per gill net at Dean 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 Dean Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Dean Lake is dated July 29, 2019. 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 Dean Lake stocked?
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for Dean 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 Dean Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Dean Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. 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 Dean Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Dean Lake
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