Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest July 20, 2015
Stocking at Union 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 Union 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 July 20, 2015 caught 1.60 walleye per gill net at Union Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Union Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2015-07-20 (Standard Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 2015-07-20 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 98.02 | 4–10 in 2015-07-20 | 0.21 lb |
| Common Carp | 56.44 | 2–27 in 2015-07-20 | 0.48 lb |
| Black Crappie | 20.20 | 6–12 in 1995-08-07 | 0.19 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 12.59 | 5–9 in 2015-07-20 | 0.16 lb |
| White Sucker | 10.89 | 5–17 in 2015-07-20 | 1.22 lb |
| Northern Pike | 10.58 | 13–26 in 2015-07-20 | 2.4 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
Common Carp
Black Crappie
Yellow Perch
From the 2015-07-20 survey
Union Lake is a 403 acre lake located in Rice County near the town of Little Chicago. A county-owned earthen access is located on the northeast side of the lake off Rice County Highway 46. Union Lake has a maximum depth of 10 feet and is placed in Lake Class 43, which includes other Waterville Area Lakes such as…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Union Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — UnionFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — UnionFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — UnionPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Union Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 20, 2015 caught 1.60 walleye per gill net at Union Lake. Those are survey results, not a catch report: a net set on one date measures what was in that net.
When was Union Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Union Lake is dated July 20, 2015. 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 Union Lake stocked?
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for Union 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 Union Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Union Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 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 Union Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Union Lake
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