Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest September 22, 2023
Species recorded at Sisseton Lake
20 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 Sisseton 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 Sisseton Lake. Minnesota DNR lists the public access sites, including ramp type and parking, in the documents below.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on September 22, 2023 caught 57.60 walleye per hour of electrofishing at Sisseton Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Sisseton Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-09-22 (Targeted Survey).
10 surveys on file · most recent 2023-09-22 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freshwater Drum | 18.38 | 4–17 in 2023-08-14 | 0.61 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 15.46 | 8–10 in 2023-08-14 | 0.54 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 11.20 | 4–6 in 2023-08-14 | 0.27 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 10.52 | ||
| Bluegill | 9.49 | 2–9 in 2023-08-14 | 0.3 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.
Freshwater Drum
Black Bullhead
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
From the 2023-09-22 survey
Walleye have been managed for many years in the Fairmont chain-of-lakes. Past stockings have included Walleye fry, fingerling, yearlings, and adults. Essentially, whatever life stage of Walleye was available they would be stocked into the lakes. However, since 2019 the Fairmont chain-of-lakes has been stocked with…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Sisseton Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SissetonFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — SissetonFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — SissetonPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Sisseton Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on September 22, 2023 caught 57.60 walleye per hour of electrofishing at Sisseton Lake. Minnesota DNR lists 20 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 Sisseton Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Sisseton Lake is dated September 22, 2023. 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 Sisseton Lake stocked?
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for Sisseton 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 Sisseton Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Sisseton Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 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
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 Sisseton Lake
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