Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest June 15, 2022
Dudley Lake FishingDWater-quality grade D
Minnesota DNR surveys at Dudley Lake average 5.09 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 10 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated June 15, 2022. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 3–13 inches. In Rice County, Minnesota, Dudley Lake carries an overall water-quality grade of D. Water clarity averages 9.0 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 Dudley Lake
11 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 Dudley Lake
No stocking record for Dudley 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 Dudley Lake average 5.09 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 10 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated June 15, 2022. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 3–13 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Dudley Lake D from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-06-15 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 47.20 | 0.13 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 6.75 | 0.1 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 5.09 | 0.79 lb |
| Yellow Bass | 4.01 | 0.66 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 3.66 | 0.63 lb |
| Northern Pike | 3.56 | 1.99 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.
Bluegill
Pumpkinseed
Largemouth Bass
Yellow Bass
From the 2022-06-15 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Kelly & Dudley Lake was conducted on June 15, 2022, by DNR Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible.…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Dudley Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — DudleyFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Dudley (1388)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Dudley Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Dudley Lake average 5.09 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 10 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated June 15, 2022. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 3–13 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 11 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 Dudley Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Dudley Lake is dated June 15, 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 Dudley Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Dudley 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 Dudley Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Dudley Lake D from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 2 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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