Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest July 1, 2013
Species recorded at Heart 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 Heart Lake
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for this lake — which species went in, how many, and in which years. Read the years: a lake stocked in one year is not necessarily stocked in the next.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 1, 2013 caught 7.00 northern pike per gill net at Heart Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 14–37 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Heart Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. 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: 2013-07-01 (Standard Survey).
2 surveys on file · most recent 2013-07-01 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 27.28 | 2–9 in 2013-07-01 | 0.19 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 19.67 | 5–17 in 2013-07-01 | 0.82 lb |
| Northern Pike | 6.14 | 14–37 in 2013-07-01 | 2.39 lb |
| Rock Bass | 2.92 | 3–9 in 2013-07-01 | 0.44 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 2.41 | 4–7 in 2013-07-01 | 0.13 lb |
| Black Crappie | 1.67 | 5–12 in 2013-07-01 | 0.4 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.
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Northern Pike
Rock Bass
From the 2013-07-01 survey
Update 06/17/2014; There has been a change in public access status. The public access was leased by Clearwater County from the White Earth Reservation. That lease expired and has not been renewed. Heart Lake is a 206-acre lake with a maximum depth of 55 feet located 8 miles northwest of Itasca State Park in southern…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Heart Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — HeartFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Heart (1692)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — HeartFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Heart Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 1, 2013 caught 7.00 northern pike per gill net at Heart Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 14–37 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 Heart Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Heart Lake is dated July 1, 2013. 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 Heart Lake stocked?
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for Heart Lake. It records which species were released, in what numbers and in which years — the source documents are linked further down this page. A lake can be stocked in some years and not others, so read the years rather than assuming an annual release.
Do the water-quality readings tell me how Heart Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Heart Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 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 Heart Lake
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