Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest July 8, 1992
Stocking at Little Cowhorn Lake
No stocking record for Little Cowhorn 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 Little Cowhorn 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 July 8, 1992 caught 11.67 northern pike per gill net at Little Cowhorn Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Cowhorn 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
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1992-07-08 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 1992-07-08 (Standard Survey)
34 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 65.96 | 0.11 lb | |
| Brown Bullhead | 15.84 | 0.27 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 7.08 | 2.86 lb | |
| Yellow Perch | 5.83 | 0.38 lb | |
| White Sucker | 1.33 | 1.55 lb | |
| Pumpkinseed | 1.33 | 0.24 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 1992-07-08 survey
Little Cowhorn Lake has a long history of low winter oxygen levels with many severe winterkills documented and several years when it was opened to "unlimited fishing". Northern pike rescue operations were done on the lake from the late 1930's to 1970, and walleye were reared in 1983 with no success. Fish populations…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Little Cowhorn Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Little CowhornFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Little Cowhorn (0553)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Little CowhornPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Little Cowhorn Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 8, 1992 caught 11.67 northern pike per gill net at Little Cowhorn Lake. Those are survey results, not a catch report: a net set on one date measures what was in that net.
When was Little Cowhorn Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Little Cowhorn Lake is dated July 8, 1992. 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 Little Cowhorn Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Little Cowhorn 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 Little Cowhorn Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Cowhorn 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 Little Cowhorn Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Little Cowhorn Lake
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