bluegill Lakes in Minnesota & Wisconsin

Other SpeciesFound in 1,365 lakes

bluegill is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 1,365 lakes carry documentation. bluegill is widely distributed: 1,365 lakes in Minnesota and 0 in Wisconsin. That breadth means anglers in most counties of either state can find a documented bluegill lake within a reasonable drive.

Rough-fish-dominant lakes are worth checking the grade on: a rough-fish-heavy fishery often reflects an underlying nutrient-loading problem in the watershed. Cross-reference the bluegill lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and bluegill documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

1,365

Total Lakes

1,365

Minnesota

Wisconsin

Avg. Grade

45 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of bluegill Lakes

444

33%

317

23%

290

21%

188

14%

126

Best bluegill Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with bluegill ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	East Fox Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	65 ft	15
2	Deep Portage Lake	Cass	MN	A	105 ft	9
3	Little Wabana Lake	Itasca	MN	A	57 ft	6
4	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	100 ft	21
5	Latoka Lake	Douglas	MN	A	108 ft	16
6	Bad Medicine Lake	Becker	MN	A	84 ft	13
7	Big Sugar Bush Lake	Becker	MN	A	42 ft	13
8	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	55 ft	20
9	Birch Lake	Wright	MN	A	52 ft	9
10	Birch Lake	Unknown	MN	A	34 ft	10
11	Round Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	59 ft	15
12	Pike Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	60 ft	9
13	Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	138 ft	23
14	Horseshoe Lake	Cass	MN	A	51 ft	12
15	Long Lake	Clearwater	MN	A	80 ft	15
16	Long Lake	Cass	MN	A	115 ft	14
17	Long Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	87 ft	11
18	Long Lake	Becker	MN	A	61 ft	16
19	Long Lake	Cass	MN	A	37 ft	12
20	Long Lake	Itasca	MN	A	72 ft	10
21	Long Lake	Itasca	MN	A	85 ft	12
22	Dead Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	34 ft	9
23	Unnamed Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	95 ft	17
24	Maple Lake	Itasca	MN	A	39 ft	13
25	Shallow Lake	Itasca	MN	A	85 ft	12
26	Trout Lake	Itasca	MN	A	135 ft	15
27	Chippewa Lake	Douglas	MN	A	95 ft	19
28	Otter Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	64 ft	7
29	Cowdry Lake	Douglas	MN	A	52 ft	19
30	Ossawinnamakee Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	63 ft	18
31	Clear Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	63 ft	15
32	Clear Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	24 ft	14
33	Clear Lake	Itasca	MN	A	30 ft	9
34	Blue Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	84 ft	13
35	Eagle Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	46 ft	10
36	West Fox Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	55 ft	15
37	Spearhead Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	81 ft	17
38	Ida Lake	Douglas	MN	A	106 ft	19
39	Star Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	83 ft	12
40	Star Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	94 ft	17
41	Upper Maple Lake	Wright	MN	A	76 ft	15
42	Partridge Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	42 ft	10
43	Fish Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	69 ft	17
44	Sand Lake	Cass	MN	A	54 ft	12
45	Roger Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	64 ft	12
46	Square Lake	Washington	MN	A	68 ft	9
47	Andrusia Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	60 ft	21
48	Girl Lake	Cass	MN	A	81 ft	18
49	Little Toad Lake	Becker	MN	A	65 ft	15
50	Charlotte Lake	Wright	MN	A	46 ft	10

Showing top 50 of 1,365 lakes with bluegill.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have bluegill?

bluegill are found in 1,365 lakes across Minnesota and Wisconsin, 1,365 in Minnesota and 0 in Wisconsin. The average water quality grade of lakes with bluegill is C (Fair).

What are the best lakes for bluegill?

The best bluegill lakes by water quality are East Fox Lake, Deep Portage Lake, Little Wabana Lake, Lower Hay Lake, Latoka Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where bluegill have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with bluegill?

bluegill are most commonly found alongside northern pike, black crappie, yellow perch, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.