Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest August 15, 2011
Oak Lake FishingDWater-quality grade D
Minnesota DNR surveys at Oak Lake average 7.42 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 3 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated August 15, 2011. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–27 inches. In Carver County, Minnesota, Oak Lake carries an overall water-quality grade of D. Water clarity averages 4.5 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 Oak Lake
12 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 Oak Lake
No stocking record for Oak 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.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR surveys at Oak Lake average 7.42 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 3 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated August 15, 2011. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–27 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Oak Lake D from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2011-08-15 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 99.05 | 0.3 lb |
| Black Crappie | 27.18 | 0.2 lb |
| Bluegill | 25.81 | 0.16 lb |
| Walleye | 7.42 | 2.33 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 5.67 | 0.19 lb |
| Common Carp | 3.39 | 3.61 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.
Black Bullhead
Black Crappie
Bluegill
Walleye
From the 2011-08-15 survey
Oak is a shallow, eutrophic, 339-acre lake located in northern Carver County near the city of Watertown. It is primarily managed for northern pike and secondarily largemouth bass and bluegill. The lake is occasionally stocked with walleye by a landowner who lives on the lake (with a permit from the DNR). Oak lake is…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Oak Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — OakFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Oak Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Oak Lake average 7.42 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 3 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated August 15, 2011. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–27 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 12 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 Oak Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Oak Lake is dated August 15, 2011. 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 Oak Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Oak 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 Oak Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Oak Lake D from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry. 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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