Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest August 21, 2025
Species recorded at Kemo Lake
3 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 Kemo 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 31, 2023 caught 4.50 lake trout per gill net at Kemo Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–21 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Kemo 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
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-21 (Targeted Survey).
12 surveys on file · most recent 2025-08-21 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fathead Minnow | 9.92 | ||
| White Sucker | 7.13 | 7–19 in 2023-07-31 | 0.87 lb |
| Lake Trout | 5.13 | 7–21 in 2023-07-31 | 1.43 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.
White Sucker
Lake Trout
From the 2025-08-21 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Kemo Lake on August 21st, 2025. This was done to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Lake Trout, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake. Lake Trout…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Kemo Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — KemoFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Kemo (1665)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — KemoFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Kemo Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 31, 2023 caught 4.50 lake trout per gill net at Kemo Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–21 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 3 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 Kemo Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Kemo Lake is dated August 21, 2025. 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 Kemo Lake stocked?
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for Kemo 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 Kemo Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Kemo 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 Kemo Lake
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