channel catfish Lakes in Minnesota & Wisconsin

Other SpeciesFound in 125 lakes

125

Total Lakes

125

Minnesota

Wisconsin

Avg. Grade

32 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of channel catfish Lakes

18%

30%

41%

Best channel catfish Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with channel catfish ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Whitewater Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	73 ft	15
2	Little Birch Lake	Todd	MN	A	89 ft	20
3	Big Spunk Lake	Stearns	MN	A	38 ft	19
4	Green Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	A	110 ft	22
5	Watab Lake	Stearns	MN	A	54 ft	14
6	Sylvia Lake	Stearns	MN	B	56 ft	19
7	Two Rivers Lake	Stearns	MN	B	63 ft	17
8	Minnewaska Lake	Pope	MN	B	32 ft	21
9	Little Rabbit Lake	Crow Wing	MN	B	30 ft	19
10	Schneider Lake	Stearns	MN	B	52 ft	13
11	Lake St. Croix	Washington	MN	B	78 ft	36
12	Big Lake	Stearns	MN	B	42 ft	16
13	Crooked Lake	Anoka	MN	B	26 ft	12
14	Spitzer Lake	Otter Tail	MN	B	33 ft	13
15	Colby Lake	St. Louis	MN	C	30 ft	15
16	Union Lake	Wright	MN	C	35 ft	15
17	Big Sandy Lake	Aitkin	MN	C	84 ft	22
18	Augusta Lake	Stearns	MN	C	82 ft	18
19	Nest Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	C	40 ft	19
20	Warner Lake	Stearns	MN	C	38 ft	12
21	Mccoll Pond	Scott	MN	C	11 ft	7
22	Bolfing Lake	Stearns	MN	C	36 ft	16
23	St. Croix Lake	Washington	MN	C	78 ft	36
24	St. Croix 1.5 Mi. Upstream of Point Douglas Dr Lake	Washington	MN	C	78 ft	36
25	Pelican Lake	Pope	MN	C	34 ft	18
26	Charley Lake	Ramsey	MN	C	21 ft	20
27	Washington Lake	Meeker	MN	C	17 ft	18
28	South Long Lake	Ramsey	MN	C	30 ft	12
29	Golden Lake	Anoka	MN	C	25 ft	10
30	Pool of Lake St. Croix	Washington	MN	C	78 ft	36
31	Louisa Lake	Stearns	MN	C	44 ft	15
32	Pool on Lake St. Croix Downstream of I94 Bridge	Washington	MN	C	78 ft	36
33	Pool on Lake St. Croix	Washington	MN	C	78 ft	36
34	Orwell Lake	Otter Tail	MN	C	25 ft	17
35	St. Croix 3.5 Mi. Downstream of E Chestnut St Lake	Washington	MN	C	78 ft	36
36	St. Croix 0.3 Mi. Downstream of I Lake	Washington	MN	C	78 ft	36
37	Long Lake	Stearns	MN	D	35 ft	23
38	Cokato Lake	Wright	MN	D	52 ft	20
39	Deer Lake	Wright	MN	D	27 ft	17
40	Marion Lake	McLeod	MN	D	15.2 ft	13
41	Zumbro Lake	Olmsted	MN	D	43 ft	24
42	Fish Lake	Wright	MN	D	38 ft	17
43	Rice Lake	Stearns	MN	D	41 ft	21
44	Pickerel Lake	Dakota	MN	D	11 ft	15
45	Silver Lake	Ramsey	MN	D	47 ft	12
46	Mill Pond	Scott	MN	D	18 ft	11
47	North Brown'S Lake	Stearns	MN	D	41 ft	18
48	Caroline Lake	Wright	MN	D	45 ft	17
49	Cedar Island Lake	Stearns	MN	D	75 ft	22
50	St. James Lake	Watonwan	MN	D	15.4 ft	12

Showing top 50 of 125 lakes with channel catfish.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have channel catfish?

channel catfish are found in 125 lakes across Minnesota and Wisconsin — 125 in Minnesota and 0 in Wisconsin. The average water quality grade of lakes with channel catfish is D (Poor).

What are the best lakes for channel catfish?

The best channel catfish lakes by water quality are Whitewater Lake, Little Birch Lake, Big Spunk Lake, Green Lake, Watab Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where channel catfish have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with channel catfish?

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