Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest June 16, 2025
Ray Lake FishingAWater-quality grade A
Minnesota DNR surveys at Ray Lake average 29.33 bluegill per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 8 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated June 16, 2025. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 3–7 inches. In Cass County, Minnesota, Ray Lake carries an overall water-quality grade of A. Water clarity averages 10.3 feet of visibility, and the lake has public access. 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 Ray Lake
17 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 Ray Lake
No stocking record for Ray 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 Ray Lake average 29.33 bluegill per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 8 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated June 16, 2025. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 3–7 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Ray Lake A from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, 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
8 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-06-16 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 29.33 | 0.14 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 7.79 | 0.16 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 5.10 | 0.61 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.
Bluegill
Pumpkinseed
Black Bullhead
From the 2025-06-16 survey
Ray is a small 136 acre lake that is part of the Gull Chain of Lakes and can be accessed through channels from Upper Gull Lake and Spider Lake. Ray receives plenty of recreational traffic as boats navigate between Gull and Nisswa Lakes. A special regulation enacted in 2024 requires the immediate release of all…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Ray Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — RayFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Ray (1616)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Ray Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Ray Lake average 29.33 bluegill per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 8 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated June 16, 2025. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 3–7 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 17 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 Ray Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Ray Lake is dated June 16, 2025. 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 Ray Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Ray 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 Ray Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Ray Lake A from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, 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
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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