Best Family Fishing Lakes in Minnesota & Wisconsin

Top 50 family fishing lakes — 25 from each state. Filtered for abundant panfish (bluegill, crappie, perch, sunfish, pumpkinseed), public access, and safe water quality (A, B, or C grade). Kids catch fish here.

State-specific lists: Minnesota → Wisconsin →

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Panfish Species	Total Fish
1	Moon Lake	Douglas	MN	A	38 ft	black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed, white crappie, yellow perch	12
2	Lower Cullen Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	39 ft	black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed, sunfish, yellow perch	16
3	Carlos Lake	Douglas	MN	A	163 ft	black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed, sunfish, yellow perch	21
4	Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	138 ft	black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, northern sunfish, pumpkinseed, yellow perch	23
5	Clamshell Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	44 ft	black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, northern sunfish, pumpkinseed, yellow perch	18
6	Pokegama Lake	Itasca	MN	A	112 ft	black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed, yellow perch	19
7	Sturgeon Lake	Pine	MN	A	-	black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed, yellow perch	15
8	Big Carnelian Lake	Washington	MN	A	66 ft	black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed, yellow perch	12
9	Long Lake	Cass	MN	A	115 ft	black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed, yellow perch	14
10	Big Cormorant Lake	Becker	MN	A	75 ft	black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed, yellow perch	16
11	Turtle Lake	Becker	MN	A	73 ft	black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed, yellow perch	13
12	Big Sand Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	135 ft	black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed, yellow perch	16
13	Lone Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	60 ft	black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed, yellow perch	14
14	West Sylvia Lake	Wright	MN	A	97 ft	black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed, yellow perch	15
15	Long Lake	Cass	MN	A	115 ft	black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed, yellow perch	14
16	Little Jay Gould Lake	Itasca	MN	A	56 ft	black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed, yellow perch	16
17	Big Fish Lake	Stearns	MN	A	70 ft	black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed, yellow perch	15
18	Big Watab Lake	Stearns	MN	A	123 ft	black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed, yellow perch	15
19	Long Lake	Clearwater	MN	A	80 ft	black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed, yellow perch	15
20	Long Lake	Becker	MN	A	61 ft	black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed, yellow perch	16
21	Ossawinnamakee Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	63 ft	black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed, yellow perch	18
22	Scalp Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	90 ft	black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed, yellow perch	13
23	Little Sand Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	80 ft	black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed, yellow perch	17
24	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	100 ft	black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed, yellow perch	21
25	Mary Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	48 ft	black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed, yellow perch	14
26	Black Oak Lake	Vilas	WI	A	85 ft	Panfish	6
27	Bardon Lake	Douglas	WI	A	102 ft	Panfish	5
28	Whitefish Lake	Douglas	WI	A	102 ft	Panfish	5
29	Pine Lake	Waukesha	WI	A	85 ft	Panfish	5
30	Whitefish Lake	Douglas	WI	A	102 ft	Panfish	5
31	Maiden Lake	Oconto	WI	A	52 ft	Panfish	4
32	Lily Lake	Marinette	WI	A	-	Panfish	2
33	Lake Owen	Bayfield	WI	A	95 ft	Panfish	5
34	Stone Lake	Washburn	WI	A	49 ft	Panfish	5
35	Lake Metonga	Forest	WI	A	79 ft	Panfish	5
36	Forest Lake	Vilas	WI	A	60 ft	Panfish	5
37	Fountain Lake	Portage	WI	A	-	Panfish	2
38	Wheeler Lake	Oconto	WI	A	-	Panfish	5
39	Buskey Bay Lake	Bayfield	WI	A	51 ft	Panfish	6
40	Long Lake	Burnett	WI	A	41 ft	Panfish	4
41	Hasbrook Lake	Oneida	WI	A	50 ft	Panfish	5
42	Sea Lion Lake	Florence	WI	A	82 ft	Panfish	5
43	Lower Pine Lake	Polk	WI	A	102 ft	Panfish	3
44	Round Lake	Sawyer	WI	A	74 ft	Panfish	6
45	Boot Lake	Oconto	WI	A	38 ft	Panfish	5
46	Lake Anna	Florence	WI	A	61 ft	Panfish	3
47	Paya Lake	Oconto	WI	A	40 ft	Panfish	3
48	White Sand Lake	Vilas	WI	A	71 ft	Panfish	6
49	Pearl Lake	Waushara	WI	A	45 ft	Panfish	3
50	Big Twin Lake	Langlade	WI	A	-	Panfish	4