Select a lake to see its fish survey data.
About this site & how to read the data
Built by a lifelong Minnesota angler who wanted an easier way to find great fishing lakes using real data. All survey data comes directly from the MN DNR LakeFinder program. My hope is that this tool helps fellow anglers discover new waters and deepen their appreciation for Minnesota's incredible fisheries.
CPUE
Catch Per Unit Effort — the number of fish caught per net per night. The most reliable way to compare fish abundance across lakes. Higher is better.
Standard Gill Nets
The DNR's primary survey method for walleye, pike, and perch. Consistent across lakes and years, making it the gold standard for ranking.
↑ Trend
↓ Trend
Compares the most recent survey to the previous one for your selected metric. Green means the population is up, red means it's down.
Survey Method
Filters ranking by gear type. Gill nets are the standard for walleye and pike. Trap nets are better for panfish and rough fish. Electrofishing is the gold standard for bass. Use "All surveys" to see every lake with any data for your chosen species.
Date Filter
Limits results to lakes with recent survey data. Use "Last 5 years" to find lakes with the most current information.