Freshwater drum Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 103 Minnesota lakes · 1 in Michigan

Rough fish like Freshwater drum are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 1 Minnesota lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Freshwater drum is narrowly distributed — only 1 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 Freshwater drum lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Freshwater drum documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

103

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Freshwater drum Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.4 ft	55 ft
2	Lizzie Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.4 ft	66 ft
3	Chippewa Lake	Douglas	A	14.8 ft	95 ft
4	Andrew Lake	Douglas	A	13.9 ft	83 ft
5	Florida Lake	Kandiyohi	B	12.3 ft	40 ft
6	Lida Lake	Otter Tail	B	14 ft	58 ft
7	Minnewaska Lake	Pope	B	11 ft	32 ft
8	Roemhildts Lake	Le Sueur	B	10.2 ft	60 ft
9	Lake St. Croix	Washington	B	5.2 ft	78 ft
10	Medicine Lake	Beltrami	B	7.9 ft	44 ft
11	Eagle Lake	Kandiyohi	B	6.9 ft	67 ft
12	Little Pine Lake	Otter Tail	B	9.5 ft	63 ft
13	Big Pine Lake	Otter Tail	B	8.7 ft	76 ft
14	Andrew Lake	Kandiyohi	C	9 ft	26 ft
15	Blackduck Lake	Beltrami	C	6.2 ft	28 ft
16	Waconia Lake	Carver	C	7.3 ft	37 ft
17	Frances Lake	Le Sueur	C	6 ft	60 ft
18	Little Chippewa Lake	Douglas	C	9.3 ft	24 ft
19	St. Croix Lake	Washington	C	8.7 ft	78 ft
20	Pelican Lake	Pope	C	5.2 ft	34 ft
21	Volney Lake	Le Sueur	C	5.5 ft	67 ft
22	South Long Lake	Ramsey	C	3.9 ft	30 ft
23	Burandt Lake	Carver	C	3.9 ft	24 ft
24	Pool of Lake St. Croix	Washington	C	4.3 ft	78 ft
25	Pool on Lake St. Croix	Washington	C	5.9 ft	78 ft
26	Games Lake	Kandiyohi	C	5.2 ft	42 ft
27	Long Lake	Watonwan	D	2.5 ft	13 ft
28	Zumbro Lake	Olmsted	D	4 ft	43 ft
29	Rays Lake	Le Sueur	D	3.5 ft	32 ft
30	Maple Lake	Polk	D	3.3 ft	14 ft
31	Barrett Lake	Grant	D	4 ft	28 ft
32	Pickerel Lake	Dakota	D	3.5 ft	11 ft
33	Upper Red Lake: West-Central	Beltrami	D	2 ft	15 ft
34	Pomme de Terre Lake	Grant	D	4.5 ft	23 ft
35	Upper Red Lake: East	Beltrami	D	2 ft	15 ft
36	Rush Lake	Chisago	D	3 ft	24 ft
37	Upper Red Lake: West	Beltrami	D	2 ft	15 ft
38	Upper Red Lake: East Central	Beltrami	D	2 ft	15 ft
39	Upper Red Lake: Central	Beltrami	D	2 ft	15 ft
40	Lake Jefferson	Le Sueur	D	4 ft	37 ft
41	Reitz Lake	Carver	D	3 ft	36 ft
42	German Lake	Le Sueur	D	3.5 ft	51 ft
43	Little Spirit Lake	Jackson	D	3.3 ft	8 ft
44	Winona Lake	Winona	D	2.6 ft	38 ft
45	Madison Lake	Blue Earth	D	4 ft	59 ft
46	Upper Estuary Lake	St. Louis	D	1.9 ft	55 ft
47	Round Lake	Jackson	D	2 ft	9 ft
48	Clear Lake	Jackson	D	1.5 ft	9 ft
49	Washington Lake	Le Sueur	D	4.5 ft	51 ft
50	Cedar Lake	Rice	D	2 ft	42 ft

Showing top 50 of 103 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have freshwater drum?

Freshwater drum are found in 103 lakes in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is D (Poor).

What are the best freshwater drum lakes in Minnesota?

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

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.