Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest July 7, 2025
Minnewashta Lake FishingAWater-quality grade A
Minnesota DNR surveys at Minnewashta Lake average 140.77 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 10 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 7, 2025. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–20 inches. In Carver County, Minnesota, Minnewashta Lake carries an overall water-quality grade of A. Water clarity averages 11.5 feet of visibility, and there are 2 public boat landings. 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 Minnewashta Lake
14 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 Minnewashta Lake
No stocking record for Minnewashta 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
2 public boat landings are recorded on Minnewashta 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 Minnewashta Lake average 140.77 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 10 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 7, 2025. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–20 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Minnewashta 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: 2025-07-07 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 140.77 | 1.59 lb |
| Bluegill | 60.83 | 0.16 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 25.54 | — |
| Northern Pike | 6.71 | 1.49 lb |
| Yellow Bass | 5.51 | 0.69 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.
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
Northern Pike
Yellow Bass
From the 2025-07-07 survey
Minnewashta is a 738-acre (371 littoral acres) lake with a maximum depth of 70 feet. Minnewashta is located in the City of Chanhassen in northeast Carver County. Minnewashta is primarily managed for Northern Pike and Largemouth Bass but includes catchable populations of Bluegill and Black Crappie. Public water access…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Minnewashta Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — MinnewashtaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — MinnewashtaPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Minnewashta Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Minnewashta Lake average 140.77 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 10 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 7, 2025. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–20 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 14 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 Minnewashta Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Minnewashta Lake is dated July 7, 2025. 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 Minnewashta Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Minnewashta 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 Minnewashta Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Minnewashta 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.
Where to stay near Minnewashta Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Minnewashta Lake
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