Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest August 8, 2023
Spearhead Lake FishingNRNot rated for water quality
Minnesota DNR surveys at Spearhead Lake average 16.75 green sunfish per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 7 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated August 8, 2023. In Hubbard County, Minnesota, Spearhead Lake has no letter grade — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Water clarity averages 15.0 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 Spearhead 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 Spearhead Lake
No stocking record for Spearhead 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 Spearhead Lake average 16.75 green sunfish per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 7 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated August 8, 2023.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on Spearhead Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, 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
7 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-08-08 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Green Sunfish | 16.75 | — |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 14.03 | 0.61 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 10.87 | 0.15 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.
Tullibee (Cisco)
Black Bullhead
From the 2023-08-08 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Spearhead Lake was conducted on August 8-9, 2023, by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Spearhead Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SpearheadFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Spearhead Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Spearhead Lake average 16.75 green sunfish per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 7 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated August 8, 2023. 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 Spearhead Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Spearhead Lake is dated August 8, 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 Spearhead Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Spearhead 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 Spearhead Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on Spearhead Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, 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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