Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest August 2, 2021
Little Turtle Lake FishingCWater-quality grade C
Minnesota DNR surveys at Little Turtle Lake average 6.14 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 9 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated August 2, 2021. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–32 inches. In Beltrami County, Minnesota, Little Turtle Lake carries an overall water-quality grade of C. Water clarity averages 6.5 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 Turtle Lake
15 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 Turtle Lake
No stocking record for Little Turtle 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 Turtle Lake average 6.14 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 9 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated August 2, 2021. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–32 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Little Turtle Lake C from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, 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
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2021-08-02 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 19.68 | 0.11 lb |
| Northern Pike | 6.14 | 1.58 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 5.36 | 1.96 lb |
| Bluegill | 3.99 | 0.5 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 3.90 | 1.73 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.
Yellow Perch
Northern Pike
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
From the 2021-08-02 survey
Little Turtle is a 469-acre lake with a maximum depth of 25 feet located 10 miles north of Bemidji in Beltrami County. Little Turtle is part of a connected chain of lakes known as the Turtle River chain. Little Turtle is accessed by boat via the Turtle River from Big Turtle Lake which lies just downstream. Access is…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Little Turtle 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 TurtleFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Little Turtle Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Little Turtle Lake average 6.14 northern pike per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 9 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated August 2, 2021. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–32 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 15 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 Turtle Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Little Turtle Lake is dated August 2, 2021. 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 Turtle Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Little Turtle 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 Turtle Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Little Turtle Lake C from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, 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
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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