Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest July 15, 2013
Stocking at Pickeral Lake
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for this lake — which species went in, how many, and in which years. Read the years: a lake stocked in one year is not necessarily stocked in the next.
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 July 15, 2013 caught 14.50 northern pike per gill net at Pickeral Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pickeral Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
5 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2013-07-15 (Standard Survey).
5 surveys on file · most recent 2013-07-15 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 332.62 | 3–11 in 2013-07-15 | 0.21 lb |
| Fathead Minnow | 118.50 | ||
| Common Carp | 50.30 | 2–27 in 2008-07-06 | 1.8 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 27.50 | 4–12 in 2013-07-15 | 0.17 lb |
| Bluegill | 13.61 | 2–8 in 2013-07-15 | 0.22 lb |
| Black Crappie | 7.52 | 6–11 in 2013-07-15 | 0.38 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.
Black Bullhead
Common Carp
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
From the 2013-07-15 survey
Pickeral Lake is a shallow, 620 acre lake in Freeborn County. Mean depth is 3.5 feet and maximum depth is 6 feet. The city of Albert Lea is immediately northeast of Pickeral Lake. A city-owned earthen public access is located on the southeast corner of the lake off highway 69. The lake was reclaimed in fall of 2009…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Pickeral Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — PickeralFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — PickeralFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — PickeralPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Pickeral Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 15, 2013 caught 14.50 northern pike per gill net at Pickeral Lake. Those are survey results, not a catch report: a net set on one date measures what was in that net.
When was Pickeral Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Pickeral Lake is dated July 15, 2013. 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 Pickeral Lake stocked?
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for Pickeral Lake. It records which species were released, in what numbers and in which years — the source documents are linked further down this page. A lake can be stocked in some years and not others, so read the years rather than assuming an annual release.
Do the water-quality readings tell me how Pickeral Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pickeral Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 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 Pickeral Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Pickeral Lake
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