Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest August 12, 2025
West Pike Lake FishingNRNot rated for water quality
Minnesota DNR surveys at West Pike Lake average 2.24 lake trout per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 5 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated August 12, 2025. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–26 inches. In Cook County, Minnesota, West Pike Lake has no letter grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Water clarity averages 19.0 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 West Pike Lake
5 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 West Pike Lake
No stocking record for West Pike 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 West Pike Lake average 2.24 lake trout per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 5 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated August 12, 2025. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–26 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on West Pike Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
5 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-12 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| White Sucker | 4.12 | 2.41 lb |
| Lake Trout | 2.24 | 3.75 lb |
| Smallmouth Bass | 1.37 | 1.61 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 0.54 | 0.11 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.
White Sucker
Lake Trout
Smallmouth Bass
Tullibee (Cisco)
From the 2025-08-12 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen measurements were collected from the deepest basin in West Pike Lake on August 11th, 2025. This was done to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Lake Trout, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake (Cisco,…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for West Pike 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 PikeFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in West Pike Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at West Pike Lake average 2.24 lake trout per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 5 surveys. The most recent is a Targeted Survey dated August 12, 2025. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–26 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 5 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 West Pike Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for West Pike Lake is dated August 12, 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 West Pike Lake stocked?
No stocking record for West Pike 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 West Pike Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on West Pike Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter. 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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