Freshwater Drum Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 102 Minnesota lakes

Rough fish like Freshwater Drum are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 102 Minnesota lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Freshwater Drum is moderately distributed — 102 lakes in Minnesota. 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 Freshwater Drum lake list below against the letter grades: lakes with both an A or B grade and Freshwater Drum documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

102

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Freshwater Drum Lakes Map

Every Minnesota lake with documented freshwater drum, colored by water-quality grade.

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Best Freshwater Drum Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.4 ft	55 ft
2	Chippewa Lake	Douglas	A	14.8 ft	95 ft
3	Lida Lake	Otter Tail	A	14 ft	58 ft
4	Florida Lake	Kandiyohi	A	12.3 ft	40 ft
5	Eagle Lake	Kandiyohi	A	6.9 ft	67 ft
6	Lizzie Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.4 ft	66 ft
7	Andrew Lake	Douglas	A	13.9 ft	83 ft
8	Minnewaska Lake	Pope	A	11 ft	32 ft
9	Lake St Croix	Pierce	B	7.2 ft	78 ft
10	Medicine Lake	Beltrami	B	7.9 ft	44 ft
11	Pool	Washington	B	5.9 ft	78 ft
12	Maple Lake	Polk	C	3.3 ft	14 ft
13	Little Pine Lake	Otter Tail	C	9.5 ft	63 ft
14	Big Pine Lake	Otter Tail	C	8.7 ft	76 ft
15	Upper Red Lake: West-Central	Beltrami	C	2 ft	15 ft
16	Blackduck Lake	Beltrami	C	6.2 ft	28 ft
17	Waconia Lake	Carver	C	7.3 ft	37 ft
18	Pool of Lake St Croix	Washington	C	4.3 ft	78 ft
19	Upper Red Lake: East Central	Beltrami	C	2 ft	15 ft
20	Games Lake	Kandiyohi	C	5.2 ft	42 ft
21	Roemhildts Lake	Le Sueur	C	10.2 ft	60 ft
22	Upper Estuary Lake	St. Louis	C	1.9 ft	55 ft
23	Pelican Lake	Pope	D	5.2 ft	34 ft
24	Round Lake	Jackson	D	2 ft	9 ft
25	Long Lake	Watonwan	D	2.5 ft	13 ft
26	Ballantyne Lake	Blue Earth	D	2.5 ft	58 ft
27	Zumbro Lake	Olmsted	D	4 ft	43 ft
28	Volney Lake	Le Sueur	D	5.5 ft	67 ft
29	Emily Lake	Pope	D	2 ft	6 ft
30	Foot Lake	Kandiyohi	D	2.3 ft	24 ft
31	Upper Red Lake: East	Beltrami	D	2 ft	15 ft
32	South Long Lake	Ramsey	D	3.9 ft	30 ft
33	Willmar Lake	Kandiyohi	D	2 ft	14 ft
34	Wood Lake	Yellow Medicine	D	3 ft	9 ft
35	Upper Red Lake: West	Beltrami	D	2 ft	15 ft
36	Upper Red Lake: Central	Beltrami	D	2 ft	15 ft
37	Frances Lake	Le Sueur	D	6 ft	60 ft
38	Little Spirit Lake	Jackson	D	3.3 ft	8 ft
39	Madison Lake	Blue Earth	D	4 ft	59 ft
40	Okabena Lake	Nobles	D	3.3 ft	16 ft
41	Kansas Lake	Watonwan	D	1.5 ft	7 ft
42	High Island Lake	Sibley	D	2.1 ft	6.5 ft
43	Mud Lake	Martin	F	1.6 ft	19 ft
44	Tetonka Lake	Le Sueur	F	3 ft	35 ft
45	Clear Lake	Jackson	F	1.5 ft	9 ft
46	Clear Lake	Le Sueur	F	1.2 ft	18 ft
47	Washington Lake	Le Sueur	F	4.5 ft	51 ft
48	Norway Lake	Kandiyohi	F	2.4 ft	42 ft
49	Roberds Lake	Rice	F	2.5 ft	43 ft
50	Cedar Lake	Rice	F	2 ft	42 ft

Showing top 50 of 102 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have freshwater drum?

Freshwater Drum are found in 102 lakes in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is D (Nutrient-rich).

What are the best freshwater drum lakes in Minnesota?

The best freshwater drum lakes in Minnesota by water quality are Pelican Lake, Chippewa Lake, Lida Lake, Florida Lake, Eagle Lake.

Fish species from state agency survey, stocking, and public fishing-access records; water-quality grades from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys.