Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest July 27, 2022
Species recorded at Upper Mission 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 Mission 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 Mission 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 July 27, 2022 caught 48.46 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Upper Mission Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–18 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Upper Mission 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
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-07-27 (Targeted Survey).
10 surveys on file · most recent 2022-07-27 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 34.43 | 5–9 in 2022-06-13 | 0.12 lb |
| Bluegill | 30.23 | 2–8 in 2022-06-13 | 0.15 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 25.45 | ||
| Largemouth Bass | 18.50 | 4–18 in 2022-06-13 | 0.96 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.
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
From the 2022-07-27 survey
Upper Mission Lake is an 882 acre lake, with a maximum depth of 36', located just northeast of the town of Ossipee, MN. Upper Mission is in the Mississippi River-Brainerd Watershed. A nearshore survey was conducted to assess the populations of both game and non-game fish species. Fourteen 100' long sampling stations…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Upper Mission Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Upper MissionFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Upper Mission (0218)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Upper MissionFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Upper MissionPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Upper Mission Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 27, 2022 caught 48.46 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Upper Mission Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–18 inches. 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 Mission Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Upper Mission Lake is dated July 27, 2022. 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 Mission Lake stocked?
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for Upper Mission 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 Mission Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Upper Mission 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 Upper Mission Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Upper Mission Lake
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