Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest August 17, 2020
O'Reilly Lake FishingNRNot rated for water quality
Minnesota DNR surveys at O'Reilly Lake average 4.78 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 9 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated August 17, 2020. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–14 inches. In Itasca County, Minnesota, O'Reilly Lake has no letter grade — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Water clarity averages 16.0 feet of visibility, and the lake has public access. 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 O'Reilly Lake
11 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 O'Reilly Lake
No stocking record for O'Reilly 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 surveys at O'Reilly Lake average 4.78 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 9 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated August 17, 2020. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–14 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on O'Reilly Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2020-08-17 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 6.97 | 0.15 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 4.96 | — |
| Largemouth Bass | 4.78 | 0.88 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 4.17 | 0.25 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)
From the 2020-08-17 survey
The 2012 lake management plan (LMP) indicated Largemouth Bass and Northern Pike were the primary management species while Black Crappie and Bluegill were secondary. The LMP goals were to maintain a Northern Pike catch at 5.0/gill net with 60 and 10% of the fish longer than 21 and 28 inches; maintain the gill-net catch…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for O'Reilly Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — O'ReillyFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — O'Reilly (0588)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — O'Reilly (2043)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — O'ReillyPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in O'Reilly Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at O'Reilly Lake average 4.78 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 9 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated August 17, 2020. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 9–14 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 11 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 O'Reilly Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for O'Reilly Lake is dated August 17, 2020. 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 O'Reilly Lake stocked?
No stocking record for O'Reilly 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 O'Reilly Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on O'Reilly Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, and the water-quality trend over 4 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 O'Reilly Lake
Top-rated places to stay near O'Reilly Lake
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