Minnesota · DNR survey data
Lake intel
What Minnesota DNR lake surveys say about where the fish are: which lakes meet the DNR's own catch-rate marks, which ones fish better than their reputation, and how we would rig for them.
- What 3,649 Minnesota Lake Surveys Actually Say We compared every Minnesota DNR lake survey we could get against the DNR's own catch-rate benchmarks. Far fewer lakes fish well than the state's reputation suggests.
- 6 Overlooked Largemouth Bass Lakes in Minnesota 6 largemouth bass lakes that fish better than their reputations, picked from 2,339 surveyed Minnesota lakes using DNR catch rates and fish sizes.
- 6 Overlooked Walleye Lakes in Minnesota 6 walleye lakes that fish better than their reputations, picked from 2,281 surveyed Minnesota lakes using DNR catch rates and fish sizes.
- 3 Overlooked Crappie Lakes in Minnesota 3 crappie lakes that fish better than their reputations, picked from 2,463 surveyed Minnesota lakes using DNR catch rates and fish sizes.
- 6 Overlooked Northern Pike Lakes in Minnesota 6 northern pike lakes that fish better than their reputations, picked from 3,109 surveyed Minnesota lakes using DNR catch rates and fish sizes.
- 6 Overlooked Smallmouth Bass Lakes in Minnesota 6 smallmouth bass lakes that fish better than their reputations, picked from 730 surveyed Minnesota lakes using DNR catch rates and fish sizes.
- What is the first bass rod I should buy? We pulled every rod spec stated across 2,493 bass fishing videos to find the rod worth buying first. A 7'0" medium fast spinning rod won, and it fishes six finesse rigs.
- How many rods do I need for bass fishing? We added up every rod spec three bass anglers stated on camera and ran the coverage math. Four rods reach eighty percent of what they fish. Here is the order to buy them in.