Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest May 28, 2024
Species recorded at Pleasant Lake
10 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 Pleasant Lake
No stocking record for Pleasant 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 Pleasant Lake. Minnesota DNR lists the public access sites, including ramp type and parking, in the documents below.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on September 4, 2018 caught 3.09 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Pleasant Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–19 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pleasant Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is improving. 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: 2024-05-28 (Targeted Survey).
10 surveys on file · most recent 2024-05-28 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 32.77 | ||
| Bluegill | 26.03 | 2–8 in 2024-05-28 | 0.12 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 10.40 | 4–19 in 2015-08-17 | 0.79 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 5.18 | 3–7 in 2024-05-28 | 0.17 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
Largemouth Bass
Pumpkinseed
From the 2024-05-28 survey
Pleasant Lake is located three miles southwest of St. Cloud in Stearns County and has one public access located on the northeast side of the lake. The lake is 219 acres and has a maximum depth of 33 feet. Over the years, Pleasant Lake has had different experimental regulations in place, restricting the harvest of…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Pleasant Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — PleasantFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Pleasant (1995)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — PleasantPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Pleasant Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on September 4, 2018 caught 3.09 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Pleasant Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–19 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 10 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 Pleasant Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Pleasant Lake is dated May 28, 2024. 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 Pleasant Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Pleasant 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 Pleasant Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pleasant Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is improving. 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 Pleasant Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Pleasant Lake
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