Freshwater Drum Lakes in Minnesota, 98 Lakes

Rough fish like Freshwater Drum are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 99 Minnesota lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Freshwater Drum is narrowly distributed — only 98 lakes in Minnesota and 1 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 phosphorus and chlorophyll-a readings 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 each lake's clarity, phosphorus and algae readings: lakes with low nutrient readings and Freshwater Drum documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Minnesota Lakes

Counties

Freshwater Drum Lakes Map

Every Minnesota lake with documented freshwater drum.

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Best Freshwater Drum Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Clarity	Depth
1	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	16.4 ft	55 ft
2	Chippewa Lake	Douglas	14.8 ft	95 ft
3	Lida Lake	Otter Tail	14 ft	58 ft
4	Florida Lake	Kandiyohi	12.3 ft	40 ft
5	Eagle Lake	Kandiyohi	6.9 ft	67 ft
6	Lizzie Lake	Otter Tail	16.4 ft	66 ft
7	Andrew Lake	Douglas	13.9 ft	83 ft
8	Minnewaska Lake	Pope	11 ft	32 ft
9	Lake St Croix	Pierce	7.2 ft	78 ft
10	Medicine Lake	Beltrami	7.9 ft	44 ft
11	Pool	Washington	5.9 ft	78 ft
12	Maple Lake	Polk	3.3 ft	14 ft
13	Little Pine Lake	Otter Tail	9.5 ft	63 ft
14	Big Pine Lake	Otter Tail	8.7 ft	76 ft
15	Blackduck Lake	Beltrami	6.2 ft	28 ft
16	Waconia Lake	Carver	7.3 ft	37 ft
17	Pool of Lake St Croix	Washington	4.3 ft	78 ft
18	Games Lake	Kandiyohi	5.2 ft	42 ft
19	Roemhildts Lake	Le Sueur	10.2 ft	60 ft
20	Upper Estuary Lake	St. Louis	1.9 ft	55 ft
21	Pelican Lake	Pope	5.2 ft	34 ft
22	Round Lake	Jackson	2 ft	9 ft
23	Long Lake	Watonwan	2.5 ft	13 ft
24	Ballantyne Lake	Blue Earth	2.5 ft	58 ft
25	Zumbro Lake	Olmsted	4 ft	43 ft
26	Volney Lake	Le Sueur	5.5 ft	67 ft
27	Emily Lake	Pope	2 ft	6 ft
28	Foot Lake	Kandiyohi	2.3 ft	24 ft
29	South Long Lake	Ramsey	3.9 ft	30 ft
30	Willmar Lake	Kandiyohi	2 ft	14 ft
31	Wood Lake	Yellow Medicine	3 ft	9 ft
32	Upper Red Lake	Beltrami	2 ft	15 ft
33	Frances Lake	Le Sueur	6 ft	60 ft
34	Little Spirit Lake	Jackson	3.3 ft	8 ft
35	Madison Lake	Blue Earth	4 ft	59 ft
36	Okabena Lake	Nobles	3.3 ft	16 ft
37	Kansas Lake	Watonwan	1.5 ft	7 ft
38	High Island Lake	Sibley	2.1 ft	6.5 ft
39	Mud Lake	Martin	1.6 ft	19 ft
40	Tetonka Lake	Le Sueur	3 ft	35 ft
41	Clear Lake	Jackson	1.5 ft	9 ft
42	Clear Lake	Le Sueur	1.2 ft	18 ft
43	Washington Lake	Le Sueur	4.5 ft	51 ft
44	Norway Lake	Kandiyohi	2.4 ft	42 ft
45	Roberds Lake	Rice	2.5 ft	43 ft
46	Cedar Lake	Rice	2 ft	42 ft
47	Pokegama Lake	Pine	2 ft	25 ft
48	George Lake	Martin	2 ft	11 ft
49	Hall Lake	Martin	3 ft	27 ft
50	Stowe Lake	Douglas	2.6 ft	14 ft

Showing top 50 of 98 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have freshwater drum?

Freshwater Drum are found in 98 lakes in Minnesota.

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 readings from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys.