Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest July 10, 2023
Species recorded at Moosehead 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 Moosehead Lake
No stocking record for Moosehead 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 Moosehead Lake. 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 July 10, 2023 caught 2.17 walleye per gill net at Moosehead Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Moosehead 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
6 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-07-10 (Standard Survey).
6 surveys on file · most recent 2023-07-10 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 8.23 | 3–9 in 2023-07-10 | 0.3 lb |
| Smallmouth Bass | 4.99 | 6–17 in 2023-07-10 | 1.14 lb |
| Northern Pike | 3.94 | 15–31 in 2023-07-10 | 1.68 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 3.81 | 4–9 in 2023-07-10 | 0.12 lb |
| Black Crappie | 3.58 | 5–11 in 2023-07-10 | 0.34 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 3.07 | 4 in 2023-07-10 | 0.19 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.
Bluegill
Smallmouth Bass
Northern Pike
Yellow Perch
From the 2023-07-10 survey
Moosehead Lake is located on the east side of Moose Lake, MN. There is a city administered back-in access adjacent to the public park with a swimming beach. The lake is 279 acres and has a maximum depth of 18 feet. The 2023 survey was completed to update information about fish populations in Moosehead Lake. Special…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Moosehead Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — MooseheadFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Moosehead (0267)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — MooseheadPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Moosehead Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 10, 2023 caught 2.17 walleye per gill net at Moosehead Lake. 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 Moosehead Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Moosehead Lake is dated July 10, 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 Moosehead Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Moosehead 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 Moosehead Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Moosehead 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 Moosehead Lake
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