Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest August 25, 1973
Fairy Lake FishingNRNot rated for water quality
Minnesota DNR surveys at Fairy Lake average 6.00 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 1 survey. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated August 25, 1973. In St. Louis County, Minnesota, Fairy Lake has no letter grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Water clarity averages 7.0 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.
Stocking at Fairy Lake
No stocking record for Fairy 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 Fairy Lake average 6.00 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 1 survey. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated August 25, 1973.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on Fairy Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1973-08-25 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Walleye | 6.00 | 1.55 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 5.25 | 0.32 lb |
| Northern Pike | 3.00 | 1.7 lb |
| White Sucker | 2.25 | 2.67 lb |
| Rock Bass | 1.50 | 0.35 lb |
| Bluegill | 0.25 | 0.4 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.
From the 1973-08-25 survey
The Gamefish present are walleye & northern pike. Walleye are fairly abundant and of good size. Younger age walleye seem to be lacking. Northern pike are present in good numbers, but are small. The sucker population is relatively low and the perch population is relatively high for this area, in this type of lake.…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Fairy Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — FairyFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Fairy Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Fairy Lake average 6.00 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 1 survey. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated August 25, 1973. Those are survey results, not a catch report: a net set on one date measures what was in that net.
When was Fairy Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Fairy Lake is dated August 25, 1973. 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 Fairy Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Fairy 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 Fairy 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 Fairy Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, and the water-quality trend over 3 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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