Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest August 4, 2014
Species recorded at Meander Lake
4 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 Meander Lake
No stocking record for Meander 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
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 August 4, 2014 caught 0.17 northern pike per gill net at Meander Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 40–40 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Meander Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2014-08-04 (Standard Survey).
2 surveys on file · most recent 2014-08-04 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smallmouth Bass | 5.30 | 6–17 in 2014-08-04 | 0.43 lb |
| White Sucker | 0.50 | 2.5 lb | |
| Yellow Perch | 0.28 | 6–11 in 2014-08-04 | 0.52 lb |
| Bluegill | 0.25 | 4–6 in 2014-08-04 | 0.26 lb |
| Northern Pike | 0.17 | 40 in 2014-08-04 | 15.41 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.
Smallmouth Bass
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Northern Pike
From the 2014-08-04 survey
Meander Lake is a 139 acre lake located north of the Echo Trail and 20 miles northwest of Ely. There is one public access in the middle of the lake on the south shore. There is a parking lot at the top of the hill at the end of FR 679 with a paved path that goes down to the lake. A canoe or boat with portage wheels…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Meander Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — MeanderFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Meander (1363)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — MeanderPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Meander Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 4, 2014 caught 0.17 northern pike per gill net at Meander Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 40–40 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 4 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 Meander Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Meander Lake is dated August 4, 2014. 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 Meander Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Meander 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 Meander Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Meander Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 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 Meander Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Meander Lake
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