Common carp Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 501 Minnesota lakes · 6 in Michigan

Common carp is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 6 lakes carry documentation. Common carp is narrowly distributed — only 6 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 Common carp lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Common carp documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

501

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Common carp Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	North Long Lake	Crow Wing	A	15.1 ft	97 ft
2	Ida Lake	Douglas	A	16.4 ft	106 ft
3	Star Lake	Otter Tail	A	17 ft	94 ft
4	Upper Maple Lake	Wright	A	17.2 ft	76 ft
5	Fish Lake	Otter Tail	A	18 ft	69 ft
6	Birch Lake	Wright	A	15 ft	52 ft
7	Little Toad Lake	Becker	A	15 ft	65 ft
8	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.4 ft	55 ft
9	Gull Lake	Cass	A	15 ft	80 ft
10	Latoka Lake	Douglas	A	19 ft	108 ft
11	Cowdry Lake	Douglas	A	17.1 ft	52 ft
12	Big Mcdonald Lake	Otter Tail	A	17.4 ft	46 ft
13	Lizzie Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.4 ft	66 ft
14	West Battle Lake	Otter Tail	A	18 ft	108 ft
15	West Sylvia Lake	Wright	A	22 ft	97 ft
16	Courthouse Lake	Carver	A	18.9 ft	57 ft
17	Miltona Lake	Douglas	A	18.7 ft	105 ft
18	Mina Lake	Douglas	A	16 ft	123 ft
19	Rose Lake	Otter Tail	A	16 ft	137 ft
20	Maud Lake	Becker	A	17 ft	32 ft
21	Big Cormorant Lake	Becker	A	24.8 ft	75 ft
22	Sybil Lake	Otter Tail	A	20 ft	74 ft
23	Big Fish Lake	Stearns	A	20 ft	70 ft
24	Lottie Lake	Douglas	A	16.1 ft	31 ft
25	Edward Lake	Crow Wing	A	15.5 ft	75 ft
26	Moses Lake	Douglas	A	16.5 ft	32 ft
27	Carlos Lake	Douglas	A	18 ft	163 ft
28	Hubert Lake	Crow Wing	A	17.1 ft	83 ft
29	North Union Lake	Douglas	A	20.3 ft	42 ft
30	Big Lake	Sherburne	A	17.5 ft	48 ft
31	West Mcdonald Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.2 ft	62 ft
32	Minnewashta Lake	Carver	A	11.5 ft	70 ft
33	Bush Lake	Hennepin	A	13 ft	28 ft
34	Round Lake	Aitkin	A	14.5 ft	125 ft
35	Round Lake	Crow Wing	A	13.5 ft	51 ft
36	Long Lake	Kandiyohi	A	10.5 ft	46 ft
37	Detroit Lake	Becker	A	14 ft	89 ft
38	Chippewa Lake	Douglas	A	14.8 ft	95 ft
39	Sullivan Lake	Morrison	A	10.8 ft	57 ft
40	Fish Lake	Le Sueur	A	11.8 ft	55 ft
41	Big Lake	Sherburne	A	13.6 ft	48 ft
42	East Loon Lake	Otter Tail	A	13.5 ft	105 ft
43	Little Birch Lake	Todd	A	13 ft	89 ft
44	Maple Lake	Douglas	A	14.1 ft	78 ft
45	Big Spunk Lake	Stearns	A	10 ft	38 ft
46	Marion Lake	Otter Tail	A	11 ft	62 ft
47	Darling Lake	Douglas	A	14 ft	62 ft
48	Green Lake	Kandiyohi	A	14.1 ft	110 ft
49	Pickerel Lake	Otter Tail	A	14.1 ft	78 ft
50	Ray Lake	Cass	A	10.3 ft	27 ft

Showing top 50 of 501 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have common carp?

Common carp are found in 501 lakes in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is C (Fair).

What are the best common carp lakes in Minnesota?

The best common carp lakes in Minnesota by water quality are North Long Lake, Ida Lake, Star Lake, Upper Maple Lake, Fish Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.