Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest June 23, 2025
Upper Gull Lake FishingAWater-quality grade A
Minnesota DNR surveys at Upper Gull Lake average 24.26 bluegill per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 11 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated June 23, 2025. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–9 inches. In Cass County, Minnesota, Upper Gull Lake carries an overall water-quality grade of A. Water clarity averages 9.5 feet of visibility, and there is one public boat landing. 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 Upper Gull 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 Upper Gull Lake
No stocking record for Upper Gull 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 Upper Gull Lake average 24.26 bluegill per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 11 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated June 23, 2025. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–9 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Upper Gull Lake A from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, 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
11 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-06-23 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 24.26 | 0.14 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 10.98 | — |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 7.47 | 1.06 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 7.16 | 0.12 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.
Bluegill
Tullibee (Cisco)
Yellow Perch
From the 2025-06-23 survey
Upper Gull Lake is a 422-acre lake and is part of the Gull Chain of Lakes near the city of Nisswa in Cass County. Upper Gull can be accessed via navigable channels from Gull, Margaret and Ray Lakes. Largemouth Bass are the primary management species. Northern Pike, Black Crappie, and Bluegill are secondary management…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Upper Gull Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Upper GullFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Upper Gull (1533)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Upper Gull Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Upper Gull Lake average 24.26 bluegill per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 11 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated June 23, 2025. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–9 inches. 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 Upper Gull Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Upper Gull Lake is dated June 23, 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 Gull Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Upper Gull 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 Upper Gull Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Upper Gull Lake A from EPA Water Quality Portal chemistry, 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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