Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest August 19, 2024
Species recorded at Ponto Lake
16 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 Ponto 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
1 public boat landing is recorded on Ponto Lake. 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 August 19, 2024 caught 6.33 walleye per gill net at Ponto Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–24 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Ponto Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-08-19 (Standard Survey).
12 surveys on file · most recent 2024-08-19 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 56.08 | 1–2 in 1996-08-20 | |
| Bluegill | 18.16 | 3–7 in 2024-08-19 | 0.13 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 6.93 | 6 in 2024-08-19 | 0.15 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 5.49 | 5–17 in 2024-08-19 | 0.73 lb |
| Northern Pike | 5.10 | 15–29 in 2024-08-19 | 1.65 lb |
| Walleye | 4.29 | 12–24 in 2024-08-19 | 2.08 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.
Bluntnose Minnow
Bluegill
Yellow Perch
Largemouth Bass
From the 2024-08-19 survey
Ponto Lake is a 388-acre lake located northeast of Backus, Minnesota. A DNR owned public access is located on the southeast shore. Ponto Lake has 4.53 miles of shoreline, 102 littoral acres and a maximum depth of 60 feet. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Ponto Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — PontoFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Ponto (1543)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — PontoFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — PontoPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Ponto Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 19, 2024 caught 6.33 walleye per gill net at Ponto Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–24 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 16 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 Ponto Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Ponto Lake is dated August 19, 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 Ponto Lake stocked?
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for Ponto 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 Ponto Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Ponto Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 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 Ponto Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Ponto Lake
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