Upper Prior Lake

How big is Upper Prior Lake?

How deep is Upper Prior Lake?

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

What are the closest cities to Upper Prior Lake?

Are there topographical lake maps available Upper Prior Lake?

We have an topograpical map for online viewing near the top of this page. Lake-Link Pro users can download an print a topograpical map of Upper Prior Lake (.pdf format) along with 2,700 more lake maps. For more information on all the benefits of Lake-Link Pro click here.

Upper Prior Lake

Are there boat launches on Upper Prior Lake?

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

What are the fishing regulations for Upper Prior Lake?

There are specific fishing regulations Upper Prior Lake that you need to know. For complete fishing regulations visit the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. To report a violation call (800) 652-9093. Need a Minnesota fishing license?

What aquatic invasive species are found in Upper Prior Lake?

Upper Prior is a 386-acre lake with a maximum depth of 50 feet. Upper Prior Lake is located near the City of Prior Lake, and is connected to Lower Prior Lake. Public access is provided by a DNR-owned boat ramp located on the south side of the lake off of Dewitte Ave. Eurasian watermilfoil and zebra mussels are present in Upper Prior Lake.

Upper Prior is primarily managed for Walleye, but also holds populations of Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Black Crappie, and Bluegill. White Bass are also present in low numbers. Management includes Walleye stocking every other year, and a special regulation for sunfish and crappie. A new possession limit of 5 sunfish and 5 crappies is in place on Upper Prior. A Standard Survey was conducted on Upper Prior Lake in 2021 to assess the status of the fishery.

Walleye numbers in Upper Prior were moderate, with a broad range of sizes present. Fish were between 12 and 28 inches, with an average size of 18 inches. Almost half of the fish sampled were between 12 and 13 inches, indicating success of recent stocking. Over the next couple of years those fish should attain a good harvestable size. Despite modest abundance, Walleye do well in Upper Prior, and management will continue to focus on this species.

Largemouth Bass are present in Upper Prior Lake, but targeted bass electrofishing was not conducted as part of the 2021 survey. The fish were caught in both gill nets and trap nets; however, survey nets don't sample bass well so insight into the population is limited. The 11 fish caught in the nets ranged in length between 8 and 17 inches. When the lake was last electrofished for bass, in 2015, an abundant population of moderately sized fish were observed. Average fish size during that survey was 9 inches, and the largest fish sampled was just under 16 inches. Only 5% of bass sampled in 2015 were larger than 12 inches.

Northern Pike have historically been present in Upper Prior in low numbers, and that was true again in 2021. Only two fish were sampled by gill nets; one just under 24 inches, and the other just over. Four northerns were caught in the trap nets, and they were between 21 and 31 inches long. The abundance of the fish is so low that anglers probably won't spend too much time targeting them. However, if one were to catch a northern while fishing for bass, then there's a good chance that the fish would be over 24 inches and harvestable under the Northern Pike regulation. Two northerns over 24 inches can be kept per angler.

Black Crappie were sampled in low numbers in 2021. Crappie populations (more so than other species) have a tendency to fluctuate in abundance, with a single year class dominating the population until they are replaced with a successive year class. During the previous survey, in 2018, crappie were sampled in high numbers, with most of the fish exceeding 8 inches. Those fish are likely gone from (or leaving) the population now. With favorable conditions for reproduction, the low abundance population in the lake in 2021 could produce a large year class of offspring.

Bluegill were sampled in high numbers in 2021, and size was modest. The fish were between 3 and 8 inches long, with only 6% of the trap net catch exceeding 7 inches. A new regulation took effect in 2021 for sunfish and crappies on Upper Prior. Only 5 Bluegill and 5 crappie may be harvested per angler. Upper Prior was chosen for this regulation because panfish grow fast in the lake, and the lake has a history of producing large Bluegill and crappie. The goal of the regulation is to limit harvest in order to give fish a chance to grow to large sizes.

Other fish species sampled in low abundances were Black Bullhead, Brown Bullhead, Common Carp, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, White Bass, White Sucker, Yellow Bullhead, and Yellow Perch.

What is the average air temp for Upper Prior Lake?