Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest June 16, 2025
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's Standard Survey on June 16, 2025 caught 10.00 northern pike per gill net at Ray Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Ray 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
8 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-06-16 (Standard Survey).
8 surveys on file · most recent 2025-06-16 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 29.33 | 3–7 in 2025-06-16 | 0.14 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 7.79 | 3–7 in 2025-06-16 | 0.16 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 5.10 | 8 in 2025-06-16 | 0.61 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
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's Standard Survey on June 16, 2025 caught 10.00 northern pike per gill net at Ray Lake. 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.
Do the water-quality readings tell me how Ray Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Ray 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 Ray Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Ray Lake
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