Upper Cullen Lake

How big is Upper Cullen Lake?

How deep is Upper Cullen Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Upper Cullen Lake?

What are the closest cities to Upper Cullen Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Upper Cullen Lake?

Upper Cullen Lake is a 435 acre lake located in west-central Crow Wing County, just north of the City of Nisswa. It has a maximum depth of 40 feet. Access may be gained via resort on the east side of the lake or by channel and through culvert from Middle Cullen. Northern pike is the primary management species while largemouth bass is the secondary management species of Upper Cullen. Spring electrofishing for largemouth bass was conducted on May 21, 2015 while gill and trap nets were set during the week of July 6, 2015.

The northern pike catch rate for this survey was 8.6/ gill net. The average size was 21.2" with fish as large as 29.9" measured. Slightly over 13 percent were 24" or larger. In order to maintain and improve the northern pike size distribution, anglers are encouraged to harvest some of the smaller fish while releasing some of the larger fish, particularly those over 22".

Largemouth bass electrofishing yielded a catch rate of 28/hr, which is close to the previous catch rate of 30/hr in 2009. The average size was 14.2" with fish up to 17.5" sampled. The largemouth bass catch rate for in gill nets was 0.6/ net, which is also close to average for lakes like Upper Cullen. The average size in gill nets was 14.9" while 80 percent of the fish measured 15" or larger.

The black crappie catch rate of 2.2/ gill net was average for lakes similar to Upper Cullen. Their average length was 9.2" with the largest fish measuring 13.0". The growth rate for crappies was above average. Sixty-five percent of the black crappies were 8" or larger.

Bluegills are another option for anglers of Upper Cullen. The catch rate for bluegill was 10.7/ trap net, which is below average for Upper Cullen. The average size was 5.7" with fish up to 8.5" sampled. Close to 44 percent of these bluegills were 6" or larger.

Walleyes may be a bonus fish for anglers as well. Although not stocked directly in Upper Cullen, they can make their way in via channel that connects to Middle Cullen. Walleye fingerlings are stocked in Middle Cullen every third year. There may be some movement of walleyes coming up from the upper part of the Gull Chain as well. The walleye catch rate in 2015 was 1.8/ gill net, which is slightly above average for lakes similar to Upper Cullen. The average size was 17.9" with fish up to 28.1" measured. Just over 65 percent were 15" or larger. Most of these walleyes, when aged, corresponded with fingerling stocking of Middle Cullen.

Some other fish species sampled during the survey include bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee, yellow bullhead, and yellow perch.

What is the average air temp for Upper Cullen Lake?

Are there any state parks near Upper Cullen Lake?