Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest September 11, 2023
Ensign Lake FishingNRNot rated for water quality
Minnesota DNR surveys at Ensign Lake average 10.19 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 3 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated September 11, 2023. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–30 inches. In Lake County, Minnesota, Ensign Lake has no letter grade — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Water clarity averages 10.0 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 Ensign Lake
9 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 Ensign Lake
No stocking record for Ensign 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 Ensign Lake average 10.19 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 3 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated September 11, 2023. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–30 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on Ensign Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, 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: 2023-09-11 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 25.63 | 0.76 lb |
| Walleye | 10.19 | 1.11 lb |
| White Sucker | 6.14 | 2.02 lb |
| Northern Pike | 3.34 | 3.49 lb |
| Rock Bass | 1.00 | 0.19 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.
Tullibee (Cisco)
Walleye
White Sucker
Northern Pike
From the 2023-09-11 survey
Ensign is a 1,408-acre lake located 23 miles northeast of Ely in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It is a relatively productive walleye lake, comparable to Shagawa, Moose, and Disappointment in the Tower area. Ensign was thermally stratified on 09/11/2023. Surface temperature was 66.5 F, bottom temperature…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Ensign Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — EnsignFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Ensign Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Ensign Lake average 10.19 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 3 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated September 11, 2023. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–30 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 9 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 Ensign Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Ensign Lake is dated September 11, 2023. 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 Ensign Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Ensign 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 Ensign Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on Ensign Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, 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
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.
Where to stay near Ensign Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Ensign Lake
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