Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest July 9, 2001
Vadnais Lake FishingFWater-quality grade F
Minnesota DNR surveys at Vadnais Lake average 18.50 yellow perch per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 3 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 9, 2001. In Ramsey County, Minnesota, Vadnais Lake carries an overall water-quality grade of F. Water clarity averages 1.0 feet of visibility. 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 Vadnais Lake
9 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 Vadnais Lake
No stocking record for Vadnais 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 Vadnais Lake average 18.50 yellow perch per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 3 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 9, 2001.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Vadnais Lake F 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
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2001-07-09 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 72.08 | 0.18 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 18.50 | 0.15 lb |
| Bluegill | 15.17 | 0.15 lb |
| Common Carp | 14.95 | 3.73 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 7.92 | 0.27 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 1.42 | 0.15 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.
Black Bullhead
Bluegill
Common Carp
Brown Bullhead
From the 2001-07-09 survey
West Vadnais Lake has been dominated by black bullheads since the survey of 1986. Prior to that brown bullheads were the most commonly caught specie. The fish population of West Vadnais apparently suffers complete or partial winterkill on nearly an annual basis. Game fish sampled were one 19" northern pike, several…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Vadnais Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — West VadnaisFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Vadnais Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Vadnais Lake average 18.50 yellow perch per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 3 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 9, 2001. Minnesota DNR lists 9 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 Vadnais Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Vadnais Lake is dated July 9, 2001. 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 Vadnais Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Vadnais 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 Vadnais Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality grades Vadnais Lake F 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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