Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest July 30, 2024
Schneider Lake FishingDWater-quality grade D
Minnesota DNR surveys at Schneider Lake average 10.11 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 8 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated July 30, 2024. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–19 inches. In Stearns County, Minnesota, Schneider Lake carries an overall water-quality grade of D. Water clarity averages 12.0 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 Schneider Lake
13 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 Schneider Lake
No stocking record for Schneider 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 Schneider Lake average 10.11 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 8 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated July 30, 2024. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–19 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Schneider Lake D 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: 2024-07-30 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 15.60 | 0.23 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 10.11 | 1 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 6.25 | 0.1 lb |
| Black Crappie | 5.35 | 0.43 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 3.56 | 0.22 lb |
| Channel Catfish | 3.23 | 2.8 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
Largemouth Bass
Yellow Perch
Black Crappie
From the 2024-07-30 survey
The Sauk River Chain of Lakes (SRCL) is located in south-central Stearns County, near the city of Richmond. A dam built in the early 1900's on the Sauk River in Cold Spring created the SRCL a reservoir consisting of nine lakes and approximately 3,200 acres of water. The Sauk River drains a large portion of central…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Schneider Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SchneiderFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Schneider Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Schneider Lake average 10.11 largemouth bass per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 8 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated July 30, 2024. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–19 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 13 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 Schneider Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Schneider Lake is dated July 30, 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 Schneider Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Schneider 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 Schneider Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Schneider Lake D 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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