Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest August 16, 2021
Species recorded at Sleepy Eye Lake
10 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 Sleepy Eye 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 Sleepy Eye 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 August 16, 2021 caught 15.17 walleye per gill net at Sleepy Eye Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Sleepy Eye Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
18 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2021-08-16 (Targeted Survey).
18 surveys on file · most recent 2021-08-16 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 116.05 | 9–13 in 2021-08-16 | 0.47 lb |
| Bluegill | 31.13 | 3–7 in 2021-08-16 | 0.16 lb |
| White Crappie | 26.64 | 0.32 lb | |
| Yellow Perch | 20.59 | 5–11 in 2021-08-16 | 0.15 lb |
| Black Crappie | 14.73 | 5–8 in 2021-08-16 | 0.24 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 8.97 | 15–19 in 2021-08-16 | 1.53 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.
Black Bullhead
Bluegill
Yellow Perch
Black Crappie
From the 2021-08-16 survey
Sleepy Eye is a smaller sized lake (240 acres) located adjacent to the City of Sleepy Eye in Brown County. A large city-owned access with a double cement boat ramp is located on the north shore within the Sleepy Eye Sportsmen's Park. Sleepy Eye Lake has 4 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 21 feet. The…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Sleepy Eye Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Sleepy EyeFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Sleepy EyeFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Sleepy EyePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Sleepy Eye Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 16, 2021 caught 15.17 walleye per gill net at Sleepy Eye Lake. Minnesota DNR lists 10 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 Sleepy Eye Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Sleepy Eye Lake is dated August 16, 2021. 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 Sleepy Eye Lake stocked?
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for Sleepy Eye 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 Sleepy Eye Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Sleepy Eye Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 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 Sleepy Eye Lake
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