Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest September 9, 2024
Little Saganaga Lake FishingNRNot rated for water quality
Minnesota DNR surveys at Little Saganaga Lake average 2.00 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 6 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated September 9, 2024. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–26 inches. In Cook County, Minnesota, Little Saganaga Lake has no letter grade — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Water clarity averages 7.0 feet of visibility. 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 Little Saganaga 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 Little Saganaga Lake
No stocking record for Little Saganaga 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.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR surveys at Little Saganaga Lake average 2.00 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 6 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated September 9, 2024. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–26 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on Little Saganaga Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
6 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-09-09 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| White Sucker | 4.44 | 1.56 lb |
| Northern Pike | 2.00 | 2.84 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 0.63 | 0.11 lb |
| Lake Trout | 0.57 | 2.27 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.
White Sucker
Northern Pike
Yellow Perch
Lake Trout
From the 2024-09-09 survey
Little Saganaga Lake is a large, 1,627-acre lake with a maximum depth of 150 ft and is primarily managed for lake trout. Little Saganaga Lake lies entirely within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWACW) and is a part of the Rainy River Headwaters watershed. Access is difficult due to multiple portages from…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Little Saganaga Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Little SaganagaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Little Saganaga Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Little Saganaga Lake average 2.00 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 6 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated September 9, 2024. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–26 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 Little Saganaga Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Little Saganaga Lake is dated September 9, 2024. 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 Saganaga Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Little Saganaga 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 Little Saganaga Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on Little Saganaga Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, and the water-quality trend over 3 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.
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