Cutaway

NORTHERN PIKE ABUNDANCE HAS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY WHEN COMPARED TO THE 1978 STUDY WHICH WAS CONDUCTED IN A SIMILAR MANNER. THE PRESENT CPUE 13.6 FISH/GILLNET IS ABOVE THE THIRD QUARTILE FOR LAKES OF SIMILAR ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS. THE PSD INDEX OF THE LENGTH FREQUENCY DATA FOR THE NORTHERN PIKE GILLNET SAMPLE IS 29. THE MODAL LENGTH GROUP 19.0-19.9 INCHES. THESE STATISTICAL VALUES INDICATE A HIGH DENSITY NORTHERN PIKE POPULATION WHICH IS DOMINATED BY SMALL INDIVIDUAL FISH. AGE GROUP 3 APPEARS TO BE THE STRONGEST YEAR CLASS IN SAMPLE. GROWTH FOR NORTHERN PIKE IS NEAR THE STATE AVERAGE FOR ALL YEAR CLASSES. THE BACK CALCULATED MEAN TOTAL LENGTHS FOR EACH AGE GROUPS DIDN'T VARY MORE THAN 15% ON EITHER SIDE OF THE STATEWIDE MEANS FOR THE SPECIFIC AGE GROUP. WHITE SUCKER AND YELLOW PERCH WHRE VARY LOW IN ABUNDANCE. THEY ARE THE ONLY TWO SPECIES FOUND IN THE LAKE THAT ARE BELOW THE FIRST QUARTILE FOR LKS OF SAME CLASSIFICATION. PREDATION BY NORTHERN PIKE IS MOST PROBABLE CAUSE FOR LOW ABUNDANCE OF THESE TWO SPECIES. TULLIBEE ABUNDANCE APPEARS TO HAVE DECLINED SINCE THE PREVIOUS ASSESSMENT IN 1978. THE GILLNET CPUE HAS DROPPED FROM 17.6 FISH /NET IN 1978 TO THE CURRENT RATE OF 6.8 FISH/NET WHICH REFLECTS A 260% DECREASE IN ABUNDANCE. IN- CREASED NORTHERN PIKE ABUNDANCE PROBABLY IS DIRECT CAUSE OF DECLINING TULLIBEE ABUNDANCE. PANFICH SPECIES IN THE LAKE INCLUDE BLUEGILL, PUMPKINSEED, ROCK BASS, AND BLACK CRAPPIE. BLUEGILL ABUNDANCE APPEARS TO BE MOST SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGED. THE TRAPNET CPUE FOR BLUEGILLS INCREASED FROM 14.2 FISH/NET IN 1978 TO 60.0 FISH/NET IN THIS STUDY. THE CURRENT CPUE EXCEEDS THE THIRD QUARTILE FOR TRAPNETTED BLUEGILLS IN LAKES OF SAME CLASS. THE MODAL LENGTH GROUP WAS 6.5-6.9 INCHES IN WHICH 27 OF 131 FISH WERE DISTRIBUTED. GROWTH RATES ARE BELOW THE STATE AVERAGE FOR ALL AGE GROUPS, AND SPECIFICALLY AGE GROUPS 3,4, AND 5 WERE MORE THAN 20% BELOW THE STATE AVERAGE. BLACK CRAPPIE ABUNDANCE IS SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN THE EXPECTED RANGE FOR LAKES OF SAME CLASSIFICATION. THE CPUE'S FOR BOTH GILLNETS AND TRAPNETS IN THIS STUDY ARE SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE STATE MEANS BY APPROXIMATELY 80%. THE BLACK CRAPPIE SAMPLE CONSISTS OF MOSTLY SMALL FISH LESS THAN 8.5 INCHES. LARGEMOUTH BASS ARE KNOWN TO BE A POPULAR GAMEFISH SPECIES IN THE LAKE BUT WERE NOT SAMPLED EFFECTIVELY WITH THE SURVEY GEAR. THEY ARE REPRODUCING IN THE LAKE AS 11 YOUNG OF YEAR WERE CAPTURED IN SEINE HAULS INCLUDED BLUEGILLS, BLACK CRAPPIE, AND PUMPKINSEED. NON GAMEFISH SPECIES CAPTURED INCLUDED GOLDEN SHINER, BLACKNOSE SHINER, AND BLUNTNOSE MINNOWS. NO FISH HAVE BEEN STOCKED SINCE 1974.

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

We don't have a confirmed public access point on record for Cutaway. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for current access details before you go.

Cutaway has a maximum depth of 55 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Cutaway is from 1990. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

No invasive species are on record for Cutaway in Minnesota DNR data. Always clean, drain, and dry your equipment to help keep it that way.