Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest August 11, 2025
Species recorded at Upper Cormorant Lake
13 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 Upper Cormorant 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 Upper Cormorant 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 11, 2025 caught 6.67 walleye per gill net at Upper Cormorant Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Upper Cormorant Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
13 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-11 (Targeted Survey).
13 surveys on file · most recent 2025-08-11 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 40.62 | 5–16 in 2025-08-11 | 1.01 lb |
| Bluegill | 30.74 | 3–9 in 2025-08-11 | 0.19 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 17.39 | ||
| Green Sunfish | 11.78 | 4 in 2022-08-22 | 0.16 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 11.53 | 8–13 in 2025-08-11 | 0.61 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.
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
Green Sunfish
Yellow Bullhead
From the 2025-08-11 survey
Upper Cormorant Lake is an 856-acre, class 25 lake located in southwestern Becker County. It consists of a main basin and a long, narrow, northern arm with several shallow bays. Two narrow channels, not navigable in low water years, provide access to Rossman and Nelson Lakes to the east and eventually connect to…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Upper Cormorant Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Upper CormorantFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Upper CormorantFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Upper CormorantPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Upper Cormorant Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 11, 2025 caught 6.67 walleye per gill net at Upper Cormorant Lake. Minnesota DNR lists 13 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 Upper Cormorant Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Upper Cormorant Lake is dated August 11, 2025. 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 Upper Cormorant Lake stocked?
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for Upper Cormorant 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 Upper Cormorant Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Upper Cormorant Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. 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 Upper Cormorant Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Upper Cormorant Lake
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