Abstract Aim The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) recommends examination of a minimum of 12 total dissected lymph nodes to stage rectal cancer accurately. This study aimed to explore the factors influencing lymph node (LN) retrieval and their impact on nodal positivity and N category in colorectal cancer (CRC) staging. Method This retrospective single-centre study included patients with CRC who underwent laparoscopic excision by a single colorectal surgeon between July 2021 and July 2023. Data were extracted from the hospital's electronic database, with exclusion criteria for benign conditions. Results The average number of LNs in this cohort was 17.95±6.55. At least 12 LNs were recovered in 90.91% of the cases. The right colon was the most common tumour site. Right hemicolectomy, transverse colon resection, and sigmoid colectomy achieved 100% compliance with the adequate retrieval criteria. An increase in LN retrieval was observed with higher T stages. A positive linear correlation was observed between the number of harvested LNs and the length of the resected bowel. No significant difference in LN yield was observed between node-positive and node-negative cases. Conclusions Tumour site emerged as a significant factor influencing LN retrieval in CRC resections. While age and sex showed no substantial impact, tumour size and extent of resected bowel positively correlated with LN counts. The overall lymph node yield had no effect on node positivity, indicating that, following a careful inspection of the specimen, a lower lymph node yield may be deemed sufficient.