Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest July 18, 2016
Wolf Lake FishingNRNot rated for water quality
Minnesota DNR surveys at Wolf Lake average 8.09 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 2 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 18, 2016. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–23 inches. In St. Louis County, Minnesota, Wolf Lake has no letter grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Water clarity averages 6.6 feet of visibility, and the lake has public access. 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 Wolf Lake
7 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 Wolf Lake
No stocking record for Wolf 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 Wolf Lake average 8.09 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 2 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 18, 2016. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–23 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 Wolf 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
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2016-07-18 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 12.08 | 0.34 lb |
| Bluegill | 9.00 | 0.31 lb |
| Walleye | 8.09 | 1.42 lb |
| Northern Pike | 5.08 | 3.01 lb |
| White Sucker | 3.08 | 3.51 lb |
| Smallmouth Bass | 0.83 | 1.72 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.
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Walleye
Northern Pike
From the 2016-07-18 survey
Wolf Lake is a 179 acre lake located 11 miles northwest of Tower. The public access is via a 3/4 mile long portage from Wolf Bay on Lake Vermilion to the northwest corner of Wolf Lake. The entire portage is on US Forest Service owned property and open to public use. Wolf Lake is surrounded by public land with one…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Wolf Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — WolfFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Wolf Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Wolf Lake average 8.09 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 2 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 18, 2016. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–23 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 7 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 Wolf Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Wolf Lake is dated July 18, 2016. 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 Wolf Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Wolf 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 Wolf 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 Wolf 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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