Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest August 10, 2009
Species recorded at East Smith Lake
5 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 East Smith Lake
No stocking record for East Smith 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's Standard Survey on August 10, 2009 caught 4.67 northern pike per gill net at East Smith Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–36 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows East Smith Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is stable. 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: 2009-08-10 (Standard Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 2009-08-10 (Standard Survey)
17 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 14.99 | 3–9 in 2009-08-10 | 0.14 lb |
| Northern Pike | 3.13 | 9–36 in 2009-08-10 | 1.41 lb |
| Black Crappie | 1.77 | 6–11 in 2009-08-10 | 0.42 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 1.60 | 6–7 in 2009-08-10 | 0.1 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 0.63 | 10–15 in 2009-08-10 | 0.66 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 0.38 | 0.1 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.
Bluegill
Northern Pike
Black Crappie
Yellow Perch
From the 2009-08-10 survey
East Smith Lake is a 145 acre lake located five miles southeast of Marcell, MN in the Big Fork River watershed. The lake is in ecological lake class 32. Lakes in this class are small, have moderate clarity and depth, and relatively soft water. Other area lakes in this class include Big Ole, Black Island and Highland…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for East Smith Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — East SmithFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — East Smith (0730)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in East Smith Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 10, 2009 caught 4.67 northern pike per gill net at East Smith Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–36 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 5 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 East Smith Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for East Smith Lake is dated August 10, 2009. 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 East Smith Lake stocked?
No stocking record for East Smith 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.
Do the water-quality readings tell me how East Smith Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows East Smith Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is stable. 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.
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