Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest August 10, 2023
Species recorded at Turtle River 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 Turtle River 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
2 public boat landings are recorded on Turtle River Lake. Minnesota DNR lists the public access sites, including ramp type and parking, in the documents below.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 31, 2021 caught 4.27 walleye per gill net at Turtle River Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Turtle River 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
11 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-08-10 (Targeted Survey).
11 surveys on file · most recent 2023-08-10 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 23.84 | 4–9 in 2021-08-31 | 0.13 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 13.04 |
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.
Yellow Perch
From the 2023-08-10 survey
A temperature-dissolved oxygen profile was collected in three of the deepest basins on Turtle River Lake on August 10, 2023, to evaluate the amount of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Cisco, also known as Tullibee. Based on the profiles, the top of the thermocline (i.e., the location in…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Turtle River Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Turtle RiverFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Turtle River (1740)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Turtle RiverFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Turtle RiverPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Turtle River Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 31, 2021 caught 4.27 walleye per gill net at Turtle River 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 Turtle River Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Turtle River Lake is dated August 10, 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 Turtle River Lake stocked?
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for Turtle River 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 Turtle River Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Turtle River 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 Turtle River Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Turtle River Lake
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