Burbot Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 143 Minnesota lakes · 13 in Michigan

Rough fish like Burbot are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 13 Minnesota lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Burbot is narrowly distributed — only 13 lakes in Michigan have a documented record. The constraint is usually habitat: cold water, specific depth profile, or river connection.

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 Burbot lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Burbot documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

143

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Burbot Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Bad Medicine Lake	Becker	A	25 ft	84 ft
2	Gull Lake	Cass	A	15 ft	80 ft
3	Andrusia Lake	Beltrami	A	15.1 ft	60 ft
4	Eagles Nest Lake	St. Louis	A	15.5 ft	49 ft
5	Serpent Lake	Crow Wing	A	25 ft	65 ft
6	Rush Lake	Crow Wing	A	18 ft	105 ft
7	Hanson Lake	Lake	A	18 ft	100 ft
8	Pine Lake	Cook	A	16.9 ft	113 ft
9	Thunder Lake	Cass	A	16.5 ft	95 ft
10	Ponto Lake	Cass	A	19 ft	60 ft
11	Burntside Lake	St. Louis	A	16 ft	126 ft
12	Siseebakwet Lake	Itasca	A	19 ft	105 ft
13	Gunflint Lake	Cook	A	16.5 ft	200 ft
14	Bertha Lake	Crow Wing	A	17.1 ft	64 ft
15	Ester Lake	Lake	A	18.8 ft	110 ft
16	Topaz Lake	Lake	A	17.6 ft	110 ft
17	Peter Lake	Cook	A	22.5 ft	120 ft
18	Snowbank Lake	Lake	A	15.1 ft	150 ft
19	Thunder Lake	Cass	A	20 ft	95 ft
20	Amoeber Lake	Lake	A	18.8 ft	110 ft
21	Little Gunflint Lake	Cook	A	16.2 ft	200 ft
22	Kabekona Bay Lake	Cass	A	17.2 ft	150 ft
23	Rog Lake	Cook	A	19.6 ft	40 ft
24	South Lake	Cook	A	26 ft	140 ft
25	Pine Mountain Lake	Cass	A	17.5 ft	80 ft
26	Mountain Lake	Unknown	A	19 ft	130 ft
27	Hen Lake	Crow Wing	A	17.1 ft	105 ft
28	West Pike Lake	Cook	A	19 ft	120 ft
29	Sagamore Mine Lake	Crow Wing	A	23.8 ft	210 ft
30	Cass Lake Allens Bay	Beltrami	A	16.6 ft	120 ft
31	Cass Lake	Beltrami	A	18.5 ft	120 ft
32	Round Lake	Crow Wing	A	13.5 ft	51 ft
33	Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	A	14.4 ft	138 ft
34	Cedar Lake	Aitkin	A	11.1 ft	105 ft
35	Washburn Lake	Cass	A	14.1 ft	111 ft
36	Swan Lake	Itasca	A	13.5 ft	65 ft
37	Bemidji Lake	Beltrami	A	12.5 ft	76 ft
38	Broadwater Bay Lake	Cass	A	14.4 ft	54 ft
39	Sea Gull Lake	Cook	A	14.3 ft	40 ft
40	Movil Lake	Beltrami	A	14 ft	50 ft
41	Kabekona Lake	Hubbard	A	12.1 ft	133 ft
42	Pine Mountain Lake	Cass	A	12.5 ft	80 ft
43	Whitewater Lake	St. Louis	A	14 ft	73 ft
44	Tamarack Bay Lake	Cass	A	11.5 ft	69.8 ft
45	Mitawan Lake	Lake	A	11.3 ft	24 ft
46	Cass Lake Pike Bay	Cass	A	13.6 ft	95 ft
47	Steamboat Bay Lake	Cass	B	9.8 ft	150 ft
48	Round Lake	Aitkin	B	14.5 ft	59 ft
49	Big Lake	St. Louis	B	8.2 ft	22 ft
50	Bass Lake	Itasca	B	13.5 ft	76 ft

Showing top 50 of 143 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have burbot?

Burbot are found in 143 lakes in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is B (Good).

What are the best burbot lakes in Minnesota?

The best burbot lakes in Minnesota by water quality are Bad Medicine Lake, Gull Lake, Andrusia Lake, Eagles Nest Lake, Serpent Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.