Broadwater Bay

Cass County

DOW: 11020101

Northern PikeGood · 74PumpkinseedGood · 67Rock BassGood · 66

A lake in Cass County — best known for pike and panfish. Last surveyed 1986.

Fish Species (15)

Northern Pike

Good · 74

Above-normal numbers · average-size fish

Gill-net survey · surveyed Jul 1986

Last surveyed 1986 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

2.51 lbs

Catch rate: 12.7 per gill net · typical 3–7.9 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 7, 1986	12.71	-	2.51 lbs	Standard gill nets
Jul 7, 1986	0.60	-	1.47 lbs	Standard trap nets
Aug 15, 1956	7.33	-	1.38 lbs	Standard gill nets

Pumpkinseed

Good · 67

Above-normal numbers · average-size fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jul 1986

Last surveyed 1986 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.15 lbs

Catch rate: 9.4 per trap net · typical 1.6–6.9 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 7, 1986	3.71	-	0.21 lbs	Standard gill nets
Jul 7, 1986	9.40	-	0.15 lbs	Standard trap nets
Aug 15, 1956	7.57	-	0.32 lbs	Standard trap nets

Rock Bass

Good · 66

Above-normal numbers · average-size fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jul 1986

Last surveyed 1986 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.32 lbs

Catch rate: 3.7 per trap net · typical 0.7–3.3 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 7, 1986	2.71	-	0.42 lbs	Standard gill nets
Jul 7, 1986	3.70	-	0.32 lbs	Standard trap nets
Aug 15, 1956	2.17	-	0.30 lbs	Standard gill nets

Black Crappie

Good · 66

Typical numbers · large fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jul 1986

Last surveyed 1986 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.62 lbs

Catch rate: 0.9 per trap net · typical 0.3–1.7 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 7, 1986	0.14	-	1.50 lbs	Standard gill nets
Jul 7, 1986	0.90	-	0.62 lbs	Standard trap nets
Aug 15, 1956	0.86	-	0.48 lbs	Standard trap nets

Yellow Perch

Good · 65

Typical numbers · average-size fish

Gill-net survey · surveyed Jul 1986

Last surveyed 1986 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.16 lbs

Catch rate: 28.1 per gill net · typical 7.1–33.9 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 7, 1986	1.90	-	0.21 lbs	Standard trap nets
Jul 7, 1986	28.14	-	0.16 lbs	Standard gill nets
Aug 15, 1956	12.17	-	0.21 lbs	Standard gill nets

Bluegill

Good · 58

Above-normal numbers · average-size fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jul 1986

Last surveyed 1986 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.10 lbs

Catch rate: 53.3 per trap net · typical 3.7–42.9 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 7, 1986	12.71	-	0.18 lbs	Standard gill nets
Jul 7, 1986	53.30	-	0.10 lbs	Standard trap nets
Aug 15, 1956	10.29	-	0.20 lbs	Standard trap nets

Walleye

Good · 52

Typical numbers · average-size fish

Gill-net survey · surveyed Jul 1986

Last surveyed 1986 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

1.73 lbs

Catch rate: 4.3 per gill net · typical 4–9.6 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 7, 1986	4.29	-	1.73 lbs	Standard gill nets
Jul 7, 1986	0.40	-	2.88 lbs	Standard trap nets
Aug 15, 1956	0.14	-	2.30 lbs	Standard trap nets

Largemouth Bass

Good · 50

Large fish

Gill-net survey · surveyed Jul 1986

Last surveyed 1986 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

1.20 lbs

Catch rate: 0.14 per gill net · typical 0.3–1.2 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 7, 1986	0.14	-	1.20 lbs	Standard gill nets
Jul 7, 1986	0.90	-	0.92 lbs	Standard trap nets
Aug 15, 1956	1.86	-	0.73 lbs	Standard trap nets

Smallmouth Bass

Average · 47

Average-size fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jul 1986

Last surveyed 1986 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.20 lbs

Catch rate: 0.1 per trap net · typical 0.1–0.6 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 7, 1986	0.10	-	0.20 lbs	Standard trap nets

Hybrid Sunfish

Insufficient

Gill-net survey · surveyed Jul 1986

Last surveyed 1986 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.30 lbs

Catch rate: 0.29 per gill net

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 7, 1986	0.29	-	0.30 lbs	Standard gill nets

Other species in this lake (5)

Rough fish, bullheads, and baitfish recorded in DNR surveys — present in the lake, but not typical angling targets.

Yellow Bullhead

Average · 49

Typical numbers · small fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jul 1986

Last surveyed 1986 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.54 lbs

Catch rate: 3.3 per trap net · typical 0.9–4.8 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 7, 1986	10.00	-	0.46 lbs	Standard gill nets
Jul 7, 1986	3.30	-	0.54 lbs	Standard trap nets
Aug 15, 1956	0.67	-	0.70 lbs	Standard gill nets

Black Bullhead

Average · 44

Typical numbers · small fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jul 1986

Last surveyed 1986 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.32 lbs

Catch rate: 0.9 per trap net · typical 0.3–2.1 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 7, 1986	0.90	-	0.32 lbs	Standard trap nets
Jul 7, 1986	15.86	-	0.49 lbs	Standard gill nets
Aug 15, 1956	0.57	-	1.00 lbs	Standard trap nets

Shorthead Redhorse

Average · 44

Typical numbers · average-size fish

Gill-net survey · surveyed Aug 1956

Last surveyed 1956 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

1.50 lbs

Catch rate: 0.17 per gill net · typical 0.1–0.5 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 7, 1986	0.30	-	0.27 lbs	Standard trap nets
Aug 15, 1956	0.17	-	1.50 lbs	Standard gill nets

White Sucker

Average · 26

Below-normal numbers · average-size fish

Gill-net survey · surveyed Jul 1986

Last surveyed 1986 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

1.65 lbs

Catch rate: 0.29 per gill net · typical 1–3.5 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 7, 1986	0.29	-	1.65 lbs	Standard gill nets
Aug 15, 1956	1.17	-	1.87 lbs	Standard gill nets

Brown Bullhead

Poor · 21

Below-normal numbers · small fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jul 1986

Last surveyed 1986 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.20 lbs

Catch rate: 0.2 per trap net · typical 0.3–1.7 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 7, 1986	0.20	-	0.20 lbs	Standard trap nets
Jul 7, 1986	6.29	-	0.84 lbs	Standard gill nets
Aug 15, 1956	0.50	-	0.93 lbs	Standard gill nets

See the best northern pike lakes in Minnesota

Fishing Regulations

Statewide limits

Standard statewide Minnesota limits for the species in this lake.

Walleye and Sauger

Season: May 9, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027

6 combined, not more than one walleye over 20"

Northern Pike

Season: May 9, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027

North-central zone

Angling: 10 (not more than 2 over 26". All from 22-26" must be immediatley released).

Largemouth Bass

Season: Mar 1, 2026 – May 22, 2026

Largemouth bass in the Southern and North-central zones

Catch-and-release only

Largemouth Bass

Season: May 23, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027

Largemouth bass in the Southern and North-central zones

6 combined total largemouth or smallmouth (when smallmouth season is open)

Smallmouth Bass

Season: Mar 1, 2026 – May 22, 2026

Smallmouth bass in the Southern and North-central zones

Catch-and-release only

Smallmouth Bass

Season: May 23, 2026 – Sep 13, 2026

Smallmouth bass in the Southern and North-central zones

6 combined total largemouth or smallmouth

Smallmouth Bass

Season: Sep 14, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027

Smallmouth bass in the Southern and North-central zones

Catch-and-release only

Crappie

10 combined total

Sunfish

20 combined total

Perch

20 daily and 40 in possession

More statewide rules (spearing, rough fish)

Northern Pike

Season: Nov 15, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027

North-central zone

Darkhouse spearing: 10 (only 1 between 22-26" and 1 over 26"; or, only 2 over 26").

Rock Bass

Bowfin, buffalo, carp, carpsuckers, freshwater drum, goldeneye, redhorse, and suckers

no limit

Bullhead

100

Biologist Notes

July 7, 1986WAE GILLNET CATCHES WERE HIGHER THAN STATEWIDE MEDIAN NUMBER. AVERAGE SIZE OF NETTED WAE WAS GOOD, ABOUT 1.7 LBS. NOP NUMBERS WERE QUITE HIGH, ALMOST…

WAE GILLNET CATCHES WERE HIGHER THAN STATEWIDE MEDIAN NUMBER. AVERAGE SIZE OF NETTED WAE WAS GOOD, ABOUT 1.7 LBS. NOP NUMBERS WERE QUITE HIGH, ALMOST FIVE TIMES STATE MEDIAN. THOUGH THERE WERE MANY SMALL NORTHERNS, AVERAGE WEIGHT WAS ABOVE STATE AVERAGE. NUMBER OF NOP WAS SIMILAR TO 1982 ASSESSMENT AND HIGHER THAN IN 1974 AND 1977 NETTING. YEP WERE ABUNDANT, ABOUT THREE TIMES STATE MEDIAN NUMBER. BLG WERE ABUNDANT BUT SMALL. LMB CATCH IN TRAPNETS WAS WELL ABOVE THE STATE AVERAGE.

August 15, 1956BROADWATER BAY IS CONNECTED TO WOMAN LAKE. IT APPEARS AS IF THE FISH POPULATION PRESENT WOULD CLOSELY COINCIDE WITH THOSE OF WOMAN LAKE. BROADWATER BA…

BROADWATER BAY IS CONNECTED TO WOMAN LAKE. IT APPEARS AS IF THE FISH POPULATION PRESENT WOULD CLOSELY COINCIDE WITH THOSE OF WOMAN LAKE. BROADWATER BAY HAS AN EXCELLENT SPECIES COMPOSITION OF WAE, NOP, AND PAN FISH. YEAR CLASS COMPOSISITON OF ALL DESIRABLE SPECIES INDICATES THAT NATURAL REPRODUCTION IS SATISFACTORY TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE FISH POPULATIONS.

Frequently Asked Questions

What fish can you catch in Broadwater Bay?

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Northern Pike, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, Black Crappie, and Yellow Perch in Broadwater Bay. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Is there public access at Broadwater Bay?

Minnesota DNR records list public access for Broadwater Bay. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for the launch type and directions before you go.

When were the main sport fish in Broadwater Bay last surveyed?

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Broadwater Bay is from 1986. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

Does Broadwater Bay have any invasive species?

Yes — Broadwater Bay has confirmed zebra mussel. Clean, drain, and dry your equipment to avoid spreading invasives to other waters.

Are there special fishing regulations on Broadwater Bay?

No — Broadwater Bay has no lake-specific regulations in the 2026 Minnesota DNR regulations, so statewide Minnesota limits apply. The statewide sunfish limit is: 20 combined total. Verify current rules with the Minnesota DNR before keeping fish.