Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest September 19, 2016
Isabella Lake FishingAWater-quality grade A
Minnesota DNR surveys at Isabella Lake average 7.86 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 9 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated September 19, 2016. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–21 inches. In Lake County, Minnesota, Isabella Lake carries an overall water-quality grade of A. Water clarity averages 4.4 feet of visibility, and the lake has public access. 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.
Species recorded at Isabella Lake
11 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 Isabella Lake
No stocking record for Isabella 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 Isabella Lake average 7.86 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 9 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated September 19, 2016. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–21 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Isabella Lake A from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2016-09-19 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 8.00 | — |
| Walleye | 7.86 | 0.63 lb |
| White Sucker | 4.29 | 1.52 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.
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
Walleye
White Sucker
From the 2016-09-19 survey
Isabella Lake has an area of 1,257 acres and has a maximum depth of 19 feet. It is located entirely with the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) approximately 13 miles north of Isabella, MN off of USFS Road 377 (Tomahawk Road). The lake has three different access points. The main access to Isabella Lake is a…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Isabella Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — IsabellaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — IsabellaPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Isabella Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Isabella Lake average 7.86 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 9 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated September 19, 2016. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–21 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 11 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 Isabella Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Isabella Lake is dated September 19, 2016. 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 Isabella Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Isabella 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 Isabella Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Isabella Lake A from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, and the water-quality trend over 2 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.
Where to stay near Isabella Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Isabella Lake
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