Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest July 19, 2021
Lower Cullen Lake FishingAWater-quality grade A
Minnesota DNR surveys at Lower Cullen Lake average 18.35 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 10 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 19, 2021. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–17 inches. In Crow Wing County, Minnesota, Lower Cullen Lake carries an overall water-quality grade of A. Water clarity averages 17.4 feet of visibility, and there is one public boat landing. 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 Lower Cullen Lake
16 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 Cullen Lake
No stocking record for Lower Cullen 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 Lower Cullen Lake. Minnesota DNR lists the public access sites, including ramp type and parking, in the documents below.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR surveys at Lower Cullen Lake average 18.35 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 10 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 19, 2021. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–17 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Lower Cullen Lake A 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
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2021-07-19 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 25.86 | 0.14 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 18.35 | 0.83 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 14.23 | 0.85 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 9.60 | 0.14 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.
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Tullibee (Cisco)
Yellow Perch
From the 2021-07-19 survey
Walleye are not currently stocked into Lower Cullen, but some fish may enter from connected Middle Cullen which is stocked. The catch rate was low in 2021 at 2.1/gill net. Walleye were nice size with an average length of 23.1" and all of the fish measuring over 17". Northern Pike were caught in typical numbers for…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Lower Cullen 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 CullenFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Lower CullenPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Lower Cullen Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Lower Cullen Lake average 18.35 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 10 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 19, 2021. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–17 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 16 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 Cullen Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Lower Cullen Lake is dated July 19, 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 Lower Cullen Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Lower Cullen 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 Lower Cullen Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Lower Cullen Lake A 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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