Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest September 12, 2016
Polly Lake FishingNRNot rated for water quality
Minnesota DNR surveys at Polly Lake average 7.58 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 3 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated September 12, 2016. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–24 inches. In Lake County, Minnesota, Polly 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 4.5 feet of visibility. 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 Polly Lake
8 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 Polly Lake
No stocking record for Polly 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 Polly Lake average 7.58 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 3 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated September 12, 2016. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–24 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 Polly Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, 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
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2016-09-12 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| White Sucker | 10.55 | 1.69 lb |
| Walleye | 7.58 | 0.88 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 3.12 | 0.15 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 1.71 | — |
| Pumpkinseed | 0.93 | 0.07 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.
White Sucker
Walleye
Yellow Perch
Pumpkinseed
From the 2016-09-12 survey
Polly Lake has an area of 485 acres with a maximum depth of 21 feet and has brown tinted water with clarity around 7 feet. The lake is located within the BWCAW about 23 miles northeast of Isabella, and is a part of a popular canoe route called the Girl Chain. There are three portage routes into the lake. An 85 rod…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Polly Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — PollyFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Polly Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Polly Lake average 7.58 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 3 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated September 12, 2016. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–24 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 8 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 Polly Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Polly Lake is dated September 12, 2016. 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 Polly Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Polly 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 Polly 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 Polly Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, 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
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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