Pulaski

Lake Pulaski is a 702-acre, highly developed lake located within the city limits of Buffalo. The lake has a maximum depth of 87 feet and has excellent water clarity for the area, making it a popular destination for summer recreation. There is a city-owned public access located on the southwest side of the lake, adjacent to a public swim beach and fishing pier. Eurasian watermilfoil remains common, and zebra mussels were discovered in the lake in 2022. Boaters should use care to prevent the spread of these and other aquatic invasive species to nearby lakes. A standard lake survey was completed August 11-15, 2025, to update fisheries data last collected in 2020. The summer survey included gill netting, trap netting, and spring Largemouth Bass electrofishing. The introduction and establishment of zebra mussels have likely contributed to the marked increase in water clarity, with the average Secchi depth improving from 10 feet in 2020 to 13 feet in 2025. While clearer water enhances recreational appeal, it also alters lake ecology by increasing plant growth, shifting predator-prey interactions, and making sight-feeding fish such as Walleye more difficult for anglers to catch. Walleyes remain a key part of the fish community, supported by fingerling stocking during even-numbered years. Abundance was lower in 2025 than in 2020, and below the expected values for this type of lake. Walleye ranged in length from 11 to 28 inches, averaging 20 inches and 3 pounds. Growth tends to be fast reaching 18 inches by age three. With lower catches, anglers may find fewer but larger individuals. Ongoing factors like clearer water and increased vegetation likely continue to influence how often Walleye are caught and how young fish enter the population. Northern Pike remain abundant and self-sustaining as no stocking has occurred since 1993. Numbers in 2025 were similar to those in 2020, but below the long-term average Pike ranged from 11 to 30 inches in length and averaged 19 inches and 1.5 pounds, though only a small portion exceeded 26 inches. Northern pike continue to provide anglers with plenty of consistent action with chances for quality fish. To improve size structure and lessen predation on other species, anglers are encouraged to harvest smaller pike (under 22 inches) and release larger ones (over 26 inches). Largemouth Bass were sampled via daytime electrofishing in spring 2025. The catch was lower than the nighttime rate from 2015, but this doesn't necessarily indicate a population drop-daytime sampling often produces fewer fish, especially in very clear water like Pulaski's (visibility up to 35 feet during the survey). Bass ranged in length from 8 to 19 inches, averaging 14 inches, with many quality-sized fish present. The lake continues to offer good opportunities for healthy, hard-fighting Largemouth Bass. Sunfish and crappies are still present but showed noticeable shifts in 2025 compared to 2020. Black Crappie numbers declined considerably, though some larger fish (up to 12 inches) were caught. Crappie populations often go through natural boom-and-bust cycles driven by spawning success, weather, and predation-the 2025 drop likely reflects the low phase of one of these cycles rather than a permanent decline in the population. Bluegill numbers also declined compared to 2020, with fish ranging from 3 to 9 inches. In contrast, Pumpkinseed Sunfish abundance increased substantially and became one of the more common species caught in the survey. Yellow Perch abundance has historically been low and this pattern continues-likely linked to the high numbers of Northern Pike, which help keep perch in check. Other species sampled included Black, Brown, and Yellow Bullhead, Common Carp, Green Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish, Rock Bass, and White Sucker. Overall, Lake Pulaski supports a diverse fish community with strong predator populations (Walleye, Northern Pike, and Largemouth Bass) and moderate panfish numbers. The zebra mussel introduction in 2022 has clearly impacted the lake's ecology-most notably through improved water clarity-which may continue to affect fish recruitment and behavior over time. Continued monitoring will help follow these long-term trends. Management will keep focusing on Walleye stocking, Northern Pike size-structure improvement through selective harvest, and panfish monitoring to maintain the lake's status as one of the most popular and productive recreational fisheries in the Sauk Rapids Area.

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Pulaski Lake was conducted beginning on June 25, 2025, by Lake Biological Monitoring and Assessment (LBMA) 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 14 sampling stations. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample all 14 stations. Nearshore sampling captured seventeen species of fish including four species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Banded Killifish, Iowa Darter, Mimic Shiner, and Rock Bass) and two that are tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Fathead Minnow and Green Sunfish). The nearshore survey data were combined with a trap net and gill net data from a survey conducted during the week of August 11, 2025 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 and Iowa Darter), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Fathead Minnow and 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. Results from this survey provide evidence that the fish community in Pulaski Lake is adversely impacted by stressors, as indicated by an FIBI score below the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. The FIBI results are similar to previous findings, which indicated that Pulaski Lake was impaired for aquatic life use when last assessed. The survey results will be considered when the biological health of the lake is assessed during the North Fork Crow River Watershed assessment process, which will be completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency. You can help protect the fish community in Pulaski Lake by reducing runoff, maintaining natural shorelines, and preventing the spread of invasive species.

Lake Pulaski is a 702 acre, highly developed lake located within the City limits of Buffalo. The lake has a maximum depth of 87 feet with relatively good water clarity for the area making it a popular lake for summer recreation. There is one (1) city owned public access located on the southwest side of the lake. Adjacent to the public access is a public swim beach and fishing pier. Eurasian milfoil is common in the lake and boaters should use care not to spread this invasive species to other lakes. A lake survey was completed August 10 - 14, 2020 to update fisheries data last collected in 2015 and included summer gill netting and trap netting. Walleye abundance in Lake Pulaski is one of the highest in the Sauk Rapids Area. The Walleye population is sustained through fingerling stocking during even numbered years and some suspected natural reproduction. The Walleye catch in 2020 was high, but similar to 2015. Walleye ranged in length from 11 to 26 inches and averaged 18 inches and over two (2) pounds. Walleye grow fast in Lake Pulaski, reaching 15 inches in two (2) years. Even though the Walleye population is high, they are still difficult for anglers to catch due to an abundant prey base, clear water, and recreational traffic. Northern Pike have always been abundant in the lake and the catches were again high in 2020. Northern Pike sampled ranged in length from 13 to 33 inches and averaged 19 inches and almost two (2) pounds. Only 5% of the pike sampled were longer than 26 inches and 1% were longer than 30 inches. While Northern Pike are abundant, they offer anglers the opportunity to not only catch good numbers of pike, but also some quality-sized pike as well. Anglers are encouraged to harvest the smaller pike (26 inches) in order to help balance the size structure. Largemouth Bass populations are typically sampled by spring electrofishing; however bass sampling was not conducted in 2020 due safety concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. Largemouth Bass were last surveyed in 2015 at a rate of 133/hour, almost twice the average rate for the Sauk Rapids Area. Largemouth Bass ranged in length from seven (7) to 18 inches with an average length of 14 inches. Eighty-four percent of the bass were longer than 12 inches and 22% were longer than 15 inches. Lake Pulaski provides ample opportunities for anglers to catch high numbers of quality-sized bass. Sunfish and crappies can provide anglers with plenty of action. Black Crappie numbers were high and similar to the 2015 survey. Crappies ranged in length from six (6) to 13 inches with an average length of eight (8) inches. Bluegill numbers were about half that from 2015, but still within the range of expected values for similar lakes. Bluegill were mostly small, but lengths ranged from three (3) to eight (8) inches with an average length of five (5) inches. Yellow Perch abundance has always been low in Lake Pulaski. No Yellow Perch were captured in the 2020 survey and only 28 fish were caught in 2015. The lack of Yellow Perch is likely correlated to high Northern Pike and Walleye abundance. Other species sampled included: Brown and Yellow Bullhead, Green Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, and White Sucker.

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

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

Pulaski has a maximum depth of 87 feet and a mean depth of 37.5 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

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

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