Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest July 22, 2024
Species recorded at Wolf Lake
8 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
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
2 public boat landings are recorded on Wolf Lake. 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 July 22, 2024 caught 4.00 walleye per gill net at Wolf Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–23 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Wolf Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, 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
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-07-22 (Standard Survey).
9 surveys on file · most recent 2024-07-22 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 12.27 | 3–19 in 2024-07-22 | 1.14 lb |
| Smallmouth Bass | 8.35 | 2–18 in 2024-07-22 | 1.26 lb |
| Bluegill | 7.33 | 3–8 in 2024-07-22 | 0.24 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 5.79 | 5–6 in 2024-07-22 | 0.13 lb |
| Northern Pike | 4.06 | 14–35 in 2024-07-22 | 2.25 lb |
| Walleye | 3.09 | 8–23 in 2024-07-22 | 1.49 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.
Largemouth Bass
Smallmouth Bass
Bluegill
Yellow Perch
From the 2024-07-22 survey
Wolf is a 289-acre lake located eight miles west of Ely. It comparable to Armstrong and Low lakes in the Tower area. Water levels were moderate during the 2024 survey and maximum depth is 28 feet. Wolf was stratified during the survey, and a thermocline had developed at 12 feet. Oxygen levels were insufficient for…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Wolf Lake. 3 reports 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
- —Fish Stocking History — WolfFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — WolfPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Wolf Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 22, 2024 caught 4.00 walleye per gill net at Wolf Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–23 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 8 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 22, 2024. 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?
Minnesota DNR publishes a stocking history for Wolf 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 Wolf Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Wolf Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, 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
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 Wolf Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Wolf Lake
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