Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest June 11, 1987
First Lake FishingCWater-quality grade C
Minnesota DNR surveys at First Lake average 2.88 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 2 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated June 11, 1987. In Clearwater County, Minnesota, First Lake carries an overall water-quality grade of C. Water clarity averages 9.5 feet of visibility, and there is one public boat landing. 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 First Lake
No stocking record for First 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.
Getting on the water
1 public boat landing is recorded on First Lake. Minnesota DNR lists the public access sites, including ramp type and parking, in the documents below.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR surveys at First Lake average 2.88 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 2 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated June 11, 1987.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades First Lake C from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1987-06-11 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Brown Bullhead | 245.75 | 0.23 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 134.63 | 0.11 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 33.69 | 0.07 lb |
| White Sucker | 6.94 | 1.65 lb |
| Northern Pike | 2.88 | 2.25 lb |
| Rock Bass | 2.83 | 0.26 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 1987-06-11 survey
FISH POPULATION IS DOMINATED BY BULLHEADS AND YELLOW PERCH. GILLNET INDEX FOR BULLHEAD WAS WELL ABOVE STATE AND LOCAL MEDIANS AND FISH WERE OF SMALL SIZE (5.7 INCHES). GILLNET INDICES FOR NORTHERN PIKE, WHITE SUCKER, AND ROCK BASS WERE ALSO WELL ABOVE STATE AND LOCAL MEDIANS. WALLEYE, BLUEGILL AND BLACK CRAPPIE ARE…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for First Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — FirstFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — First (1707)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — FirstPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in First Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at First Lake average 2.88 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 2 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated June 11, 1987. Those are survey results, not a catch report: a net set on one date measures what was in that net.
When was First Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for First Lake is dated June 11, 1987. 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 First Lake stocked?
No stocking record for First 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 First Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades First Lake C from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 6 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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