Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest August 7, 2018
Species recorded at Wirth 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 Wirth 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
Minnesota DNR lists the public access sites, including ramp type and parking, in the documents below.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 7, 2018 caught 1.00 northern pike per gill net at Wirth Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Wirth 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
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2018-08-07 (Standard Survey).
9 surveys on file · most recent 2018-08-07 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Crappie | 54.01 | 5–7 in 2018-08-07 | 0.16 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 40.04 | 6–11 in 2018-08-07 | 0.35 lb |
| Bluegill | 22.22 | 3–6 in 2018-08-07 | 0.12 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 4.20 | 6 in 2012-08-27 | 0.09 lb |
| Channel Catfish | 4.04 | 0.9 lb | |
| Pumpkinseed | 3.31 | 3–5 in 2018-08-07 | 0.11 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.
Black Crappie
Black Bullhead
Bluegill
Yellow Perch
From the 2018-08-07 survey
Wirth Lake is part of Fishing in the Neighborhood (FiN). It is located within the city limits of Golden Valley but is surrounded by Theodore Wirth Park which is administered by the City of Minneapolis. Wirth Lake has a public fishing pier and boat launch that provide access for fishing. Bluegill abundance was…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Wirth Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — WirthFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — WirthFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — WirthPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Wirth Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 7, 2018 caught 1.00 northern pike per gill net at Wirth Lake. 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 Wirth Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Wirth Lake is dated August 7, 2018. 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 Wirth Lake stocked?
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for Wirth 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 Wirth Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Wirth 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 Wirth Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Wirth Lake
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