Upper Gull

Upper Gull Lake is a 422-acre lake and is part of the Gull Chain of Lakes near the city of Nisswa in Cass County. Upper Gull can be accessed via navigable channels from Gull, Margaret and Ray Lakes. Largemouth Bass are the primary management species. Northern Pike, Black Crappie, and Bluegill are secondary management species. A special regulation requires the immediate release of all Northern Pike between 30 and 40 inches, with a possession limit of two fish and only one allowed over 40 inches. A standard survey using gill nets and trap nets was conducted in June 2025 to assess fish populations and provide angler information. Largemouth Bass catches (0.6 per gill net) are up from the previous surveys and were the highest recorded catch for the lake. Largemouth Bass ranged in length from 13.4 to 16.0 inches with an average length of 14.4 inches. Northern Pike numbers (7.6 per gill net) are up from the previous surveys with fish up to 35.2 inches captured. Anglers should have good opportunities to harvest fish with 91 percent of the fish below the 30 to 40 inch protected slot. Releasing larger Pike is encouraged to help create more opportunities for trophy fish. Walleye gill net numbers (0.6 per net) are down from the previous survey with lengths ranging from 20.6 to 24.8 inches. Walleyes are not stocked into Upper Gull however they are stocked into connected Gull Lake every year. While there are not large numbers of Walleye in Upper Gull, the few available to anglers are of quality size. Black Crappie numbers are up from previous surveys in trap nets (1.2 per net) and are down in gill nets (1.4 per net). With both gears combined 54% measured 8 inches or larger and 4% measured 10 inches or larger. Bluegill numbers (21.8 per trap net) are down from previous surveys with 17% at least 7 inches in length. Anglers targeting Panfish should expect action and an opportunity for harvest, not trophy fish. Yellow Perch numbers (1.7 per gill net) are down from previous surveys and had a maximum length of 6.8 inches. Anglers might not have much interest in angling for Yellow Perch however, they are important prey species for gamefish. Three Brown Trout were sampled in gill nets and ranged in length from 12.8 to 19.7 inches. These Trout came from Stoney Brook, a designated Trout stream, which flows into Upper Gull. While rare, on occasion Brown Trout have been sampled in past surveys and anglers have reported catching them in the winter. Other species sampled in the latest survey include Bowfin (Dogfish), Brown Bullhead, Common Carp, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, Shorthead Redhorse, White Sucker, and Yellow Bullhead.

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Upper Gull Lake was conducted beginning on July 6th, 2021 by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at 10 sampling stations. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample seven stations and a 15-foot seine was used at three stations. Nearshore sampling captured 22 species of fish including seven species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e. Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, Least Darter, Mimic Shiner, and Rock Bass) and two that are tolerant of disturbance (i.e. Black Bullhead and Green Sunfish). A concurrent summer trap net survey was conducted the week of July 6th, 2021 by IBI Program Staff. Nine trap nets were set along the shoreline and in shallow offshore locations that encompassed multiple habitat types. Bluegill and Pumpkinseed comprised a majority of the trap net catch by number, Bowfin and Yellow Bullhead comprised a majority of the trap net catch by biomass. Bowfin count per net and mean weight were both at or above the 75th quartile for similar Lake Class 25 lakes. The Bluegill count per net was below the 50th quartile, while their mean weight was below the 25th quartile for similar Lake Class 25 lakes. The nearshore and trap net data were combined with gill net data from a June 2019 survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g. Banded Killifish, Least Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g. Green Sunfish, Fathead Minnows, and Common Carp). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Crow Wing River Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Upper Gull Lake, a 422 acre lake that is part of the larger Gull Lake Chain of Lakes, was conducted on August 14, 2019 by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all ten sampling stations, but two stations were sampled from the boat due to site conditions. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample eight stations and site conditions prevented the use of seines at two stations. Nearshore sampling captured 23 species of fish including seven species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Mimic Shiner, Pugnose Shiner, Rock Bass, and Smallmouth Bass) and one that is tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Green Sunfish). The nearshore data were combined with trap net and gill net data from a June 2019 survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, and Smallmouth Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Green Sunfish). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. Data from this survey indicates Upper Gull Lake is healthy as indicated by an exceptionally high FIBI score, well above the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. The strong connection between Upper Gull Lake and the rest of the Gull Lake Chain of Lakes could be contributing to the exceptionally high FIBI score. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Crow Wing Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Northern Pike, Rock Bass, Hybrid Sunfish, Walleye, and Largemouth Bass in Upper Gull. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

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

Upper Gull has a maximum depth of 54 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Upper Gull is from 2025.

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