Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest June 11, 1987
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's Standard Survey on June 11, 1987 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at First Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows First Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, 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).
2 surveys on file · most recent 1987-06-11 (Standard Survey)
39 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | 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, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and 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's Standard Survey on June 11, 1987 caught 0.50 walleye per gill net at First Lake. 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.
Do the water-quality readings tell me how First Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows First Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, 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
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.
Where to stay near First Lake
Top-rated places to stay near First Lake
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