Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest September 11, 2017
Species recorded at Fountain 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 Fountain Lake
No stocking record for Fountain 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
Minnesota DNR lists the public access sites, including ramp type and parking, in the documents below.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR surveys at Fountain Lake average 71.50 black bullhead per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 1 survey. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated September 11, 2017. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–12 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Fountain Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. 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: 2017-09-11 (Targeted Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 2017-09-11 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 71.50 | 4–12 in 2017-09-11 | 0.09 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 39.67 | 3–7 in 2017-09-11 | 0.06 lb |
| Common Carp | 1.67 | 18–29 in 2017-09-11 | 4.56 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 0.67 | 10–15 in 2017-09-11 | 1.09 lb |
| White Sucker | 0.17 | 15 in 2017-09-11 | 1.46 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.
Black Bullhead
Green Sunfish
Common Carp
Brown Bullhead
From the 2017-09-11 survey
Fountain is a 430-acre lake located southeast of the City of Montrose in Wright County. It is a relatively shallow and eutrophic lake with a maximum depth of 10 feet. Fountain Lake has relatively large amounts of floating leaf and emergent plants such as yellow water lily, cattail and bulrush. However, little…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Fountain Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — FountainFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Fountain (1942)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — FountainPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Fountain Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Fountain Lake average 71.50 black bullhead per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 1 survey. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated September 11, 2017. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–12 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 Fountain Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Fountain Lake is dated September 11, 2017. 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 Fountain Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Fountain 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 Fountain Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Fountain Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. 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 Fountain Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Fountain Lake
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