channel catfish Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 125 Minnesota lakes

Rough fish like channel catfish are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 125 Minnesota lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. channel catfish is moderately distributed — present in 125 Minnesota lakes and 0 Wisconsin lakes. Some counties have it, others do not, so checking the per-lake pages matters.

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

125

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best channel catfish Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Whitewater Lake	St. Louis	A	15.4 ft	73 ft
2	Little Birch Lake	Todd	A	14 ft	89 ft
3	Big Spunk Lake	Stearns	A	10 ft	38 ft
4	Green Lake	Kandiyohi	A	13.1 ft	110 ft
5	Watab Lake	Stearns	A	10.5 ft	54 ft
6	Sylvia Lake	Stearns	B	10 ft	56 ft
7	Two Rivers Lake	Stearns	B	11.2 ft	63 ft
8	Minnewaska Lake	Pope	B	11.2 ft	32 ft
9	Little Rabbit Lake	Crow Wing	B	13.5 ft	30 ft
10	Schneider Lake	Stearns	B	19.7 ft	52 ft
11	Lake St. Croix	Washington	B	5.2 ft	78 ft
12	Big Lake	Stearns	B	6.9 ft	42 ft
13	Crooked Lake	Anoka	B	7.4 ft	26 ft
14	Spitzer Lake	Otter Tail	B	7 ft	33 ft
15	Colby Lake	St. Louis	C	3.5 ft	30 ft
16	Union Lake	Wright	C	5.5 ft	35 ft
17	Big Sandy Lake	Aitkin	C	4.5 ft	84 ft
18	Augusta Lake	Stearns	C	5.3 ft	82 ft
19	Nest Lake	Kandiyohi	C	7.3 ft	40 ft
20	Warner Lake	Stearns	C	4 ft	38 ft
21	Mccoll Pond	Scott	C	8 ft	11 ft
22	Bolfing Lake	Stearns	C	7.6 ft	36 ft
23	St. Croix Lake	Washington	C	8.7 ft	78 ft
24	St. Croix 1.5 Mi. Upstream of Point Douglas Dr Lake	Washington	C	9.4 ft	78 ft
25	Pelican Lake	Pope	C	5 ft	34 ft
26	Charley Lake	Ramsey	C	4.6 ft	21 ft
27	Washington Lake	Meeker	C	4.5 ft	17 ft
28	South Long Lake	Ramsey	C	4.3 ft	30 ft
29	Golden Lake	Anoka	C	5 ft	25 ft
30	Pool of Lake St. Croix	Washington	C	4.3 ft	78 ft
31	Louisa Lake	Stearns	C	5.2 ft	44 ft
32	Pool on Lake St. Croix Downstream of I94 Bridge	Washington	C	5 ft	78 ft
33	Pool on Lake St. Croix	Washington	C	5.9 ft	78 ft
34	Orwell Lake	Otter Tail	C	4.1 ft	25 ft
35	St. Croix 3.5 Mi. Downstream of E Chestnut St Lake	Washington	C	5.9 ft	78 ft
36	St. Croix 0.3 Mi. Downstream of I Lake	Washington	C	6.1 ft	78 ft
37	Long Lake	Stearns	D	2.5 ft	35 ft
38	Cokato Lake	Wright	D	6 ft	52 ft
39	Deer Lake	Wright	D	5 ft	27 ft
40	Marion Lake	McLeod	D	-	15.2 ft
41	Zumbro Lake	Olmsted	D	3.9 ft	43 ft
42	Fish Lake	Wright	D	3.3 ft	38 ft
43	Rice Lake	Stearns	D	2.6 ft	41 ft
44	Pickerel Lake	Dakota	D	3.6 ft	11 ft
45	Silver Lake	Ramsey	D	4 ft	47 ft
46	Mill Pond	Scott	D	6 ft	18 ft
47	North Brown'S Lake	Stearns	D	4 ft	41 ft
48	Caroline Lake	Wright	D	3 ft	45 ft
49	Cedar Island Lake	Stearns	D	4 ft	75 ft
50	St. James Lake	Watonwan	D	3 ft	15.4 ft

Showing top 50 of 125 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have channel catfish?

channel catfish are found in 125 lakes in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is D (Poor).

What are the best channel catfish lakes in Minnesota?

The best channel catfish lakes in Minnesota by water quality are Whitewater Lake, Little Birch Lake, Big Spunk Lake, Green Lake, Watab Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.