Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest July 6, 1987
Stocking at Variety Lake
No stocking record for Variety 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's Standard Survey on July 6, 1987 caught 20.40 northern pike per gill net at Variety Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Variety 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
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1987-07-06 (Standard Survey).
2 surveys on file · most recent 1987-07-06 (Standard Survey)
39 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 26.90 | 0.23 lb | |
| Yellow Perch | 13.30 | 0.11 lb | |
| Pumpkinseed | 12.81 | 0.2 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 9.45 | 1.96 lb | |
| Yellow Bullhead | 5.74 | 0.65 lb | |
| Black Crappie | 3.81 | 0.28 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.
From the 1987-07-06 survey
The gillnet catch of northern pike (20.4/GN) indicates a high population. The 1981 and 1967 assessments catch of northern pike were 7.8 and 14.3 respectively. Quality size fish were present and growth rates were good. The bulk of northern pike ranged in length from 16 to 21 inches.The trapnet catch of bluegill was…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Variety Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — VarietyFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Variety Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 6, 1987 caught 20.40 northern pike per gill net at Variety Lake. Those are survey results, not a catch report: a net set on one date measures what was in that net.
When was Variety Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Variety Lake is dated July 6, 1987. 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 Variety Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Variety 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.
Do the water-quality readings tell me how Variety Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Variety 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 Variety Lake
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