Return to Conservation Biology Research on Fish
Peterson, A.R. 1974. Distribution of the larger fishes in Minnesota lakes, 1948 to 1967. Final report submitted by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 6+ pp.
Introduction:
This report maps the distribution of larger fishes in Minnesota, as indicated by test net catches from routine lake surveys conducted between 1948 to 1967. It does not include fishes that occur in streams and rivers except for river lakes such as Lake Pepin. The net catch data was derived from over 1,700 surveys of 1,580 lakes; a sample of sufficient size to permit working out the distribution of many of the larger fish species. Although lakes in the state are not randomly distributed, a sufficient number of lakes have been surveyed in each climatic region to gain an overall picture of their distribution. Many species of fish occur only in certain areas of the state. The fish distribution maps in this report were compiled to aid administrators, managers, and researchers. The maps should help form the basis for ongoing distribution studies covering all Minnesota fishes.