Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest August 7, 2023
Species recorded at Lower Bottle Lake
13 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 Lower Bottle 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 August 7, 2023 caught 11.38 walleye per gill net at Lower Bottle Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–22 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Lower Bottle 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: 2023-08-07 (Standard Survey).
12 surveys on file · most recent 2023-08-07 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 38.07 | ||
| Yellow Perch | 22.93 | 5–7 in 2023-08-07 | 0.13 lb |
| Walleye | 9.16 | 5–22 in 2023-08-07 | 1.51 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.
Yellow Perch
Walleye
From the 2023-08-07 survey
Lower Bottle Lake is located four miles north of Dorset in southern Hubbard County. Lower Bottle is separated by a narrows from Upper Bottle, both lakes having similar fish communities and are generally managed together. Lower Bottle has a surface area of 641 acres and a maximum depth of 110 feet. A state-owned public…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Lower Bottle Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Lower BottleFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Lower BottleFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Lower Bottle Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 7, 2023 caught 11.38 walleye per gill net at Lower Bottle Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–22 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 13 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 Lower Bottle Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Lower Bottle Lake is dated August 7, 2023. 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 Lower Bottle Lake stocked?
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for Lower Bottle 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 Lower Bottle Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Lower Bottle 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 Lower Bottle Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Lower Bottle Lake
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