Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest July 27, 2015
Quill Lake FishingNRNot rated for water quality
Minnesota DNR surveys at Quill Lake average 5.71 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 2 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 27, 2015. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–15 inches. In St. Louis County, Minnesota, Quill Lake has no letter grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Water clarity averages 10.7 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 Quill Lake
4 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 Quill Lake
No stocking record for Quill 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 Quill Lake average 5.71 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 2 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 27, 2015. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–15 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 Quill Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, 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
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2015-07-27 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 5.71 | 0.53 lb |
| Rock Bass | 0.56 | 0.23 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 0.37 | 0.05 lb |
| Northern Pike | 0.17 | 18.08 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.
Largemouth Bass
Rock Bass
Pumpkinseed
Northern Pike
From the 2015-07-27 survey
Quill Lake is located about 19 miles ESE of International Falls, MN. The lake is 85 acres and generally deep; only 27 percent is less than 15 feet deep. Several species of sportfish were present in 2015. Largemouth Bass trap-net abundance was above the expected range for this lake type and above the level found in the…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Quill Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — QuillFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Quill Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Quill Lake average 5.71 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 2 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 27, 2015. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–15 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 4 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 Quill Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Quill Lake is dated July 27, 2015. 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 Quill Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Quill 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 Quill 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 Quill Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, 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
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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