Green Sunfish Fishing Guide

PanfishDocumented in 784 graded lakes across 2 states

Green Sunfish is panfish — the family of smaller, abundant species that anchor kid-friendly fishing and ice-fishing in the 49 states and 2 Canadian provinces LakeQuality covers. Documented in 784 lakes across our dataset. With 698 lakes in Minnesota and 86 in Michigan carrying a documented record, Green Sunfish is one of the more accessible targets in the dataset.

Panfish species like Green Sunfish tolerate a wide range of water quality, so their presence in a lake says less about the lake than the absence of a game-fish would. Cross-reference the Green Sunfish lake list below against the letter grades: lakes with both an A or B grade and Green Sunfish documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Green Sunfish Seasonal Forecast & Techniques

Part of the LakeQuality Fishing Forecast. Spawn trigger: Colonial bedders — fan spawning beds in warm shallow bays at 67–80°F, late spring into summer. Forage: Insects, larvae, zooplankton, small invertebrates. For a forecast tuned to a specific lake's measured clarity and depth, open that lake's forecast.

Season	Where they hold	Structure & cover	Technique
Spring	shallow 1–6 ft	spawning beds in warm bays, near cover	small jigs, live worm/waxworm under a float
Summer	weed edges 5–15 ft	deeper weed edges by midsummer, docks, brush	ice-jigs tipped with plastics/live bait, small flies
Fall	mid 8–18 ft	deeper weedlines and basin edges	small jigs vertically, tiny spoons
Winter / Ice	8–20 ft	basin holes and deep weed edges	tungsten ice jigs with waxworms/plastics

Clear-water tactics:tiny natural jigs, light linesmall flies & plasticsStained-water tactics:brighter jigs & a little scentslower presentations

784

Total Lakes

698

Minnesota lakes →

Michigan lakes →

Avg. Grade

46 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Green Sunfish Lakes

274

35%

115

15%

10%

13%

Best Green Sunfish Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with green sunfish ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Lobster Lake	Douglas	MN	A	65 ft	18
2	East Fox Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	65 ft	15
3	Clearwater Lake	Wright	MN	A	73 ft	17
4	Clearwater Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	54 ft	16
5	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	100 ft	21
6	Latoka Lake	Douglas	MN	A	108 ft	16
7	Little Birch Lake	Todd	MN	A	89 ft	20
8	North Long Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	97 ft	18
9	Mud Lake	Becker	MN	A	34 ft	16
10	Big Lake	Carlton	MN	A	25 ft	9
11	Big Lake	Sherburne	MN	A	48 ft	14
12	Big Sugar Bush Lake	Becker	MN	A	42 ft	13
13	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	55 ft	20
14	Pelican Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	104 ft	17
15	Round Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	125 ft	18
16	Round Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	51 ft	20
17	Round Lake	Becker	MN	A	69 ft	18
18	Ada Lake	Cass	MN	A	60 ft	16
19	Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	138 ft	23
20	Washburn Lake	Cass	MN	A	111 ft	21
21	Long Lake	Stearns	MN	A	28 ft	5
22	Long Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	A	46 ft	15
23	Long Lake	Clearwater	MN	A	80 ft	15
24	Long Lake	Cass	MN	A	115 ft	14
25	Long Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	128 ft	16
26	Long Lake	Becker	MN	A	61 ft	16
27	Long Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	73 ft	17
28	Dead Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	65 ft	18
29	Unnamed Lake	Nicollet	MN	A	35 ft	6
30	Maple Lake	Douglas	MN	A	78 ft	17
31	Detroit Lake	Becker	MN	A	89 ft	19
32	Sallie Lake	Becker	MN	A	50 ft	16
33	Deer Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	26 ft	16
34	Chippewa Lake	Douglas	MN	A	95 ft	19
35	Otter Lake	Ramsey	MN	A	21 ft	12
36	Lida Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	58 ft	20
37	Cowdry Lake	Douglas	MN	A	52 ft	19
38	Big Spunk Lake	Stearns	MN	A	38 ft	19
39	Ossawinnamakee Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	63 ft	18
40	Florida Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	A	40 ft	18
41	Clear Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	63 ft	15
42	Clear Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	24 ft	14
43	Clear Lake	Washington	MN	A	27 ft	6
44	Spectacle Lake	Isanti	MN	A	51.5 ft	12
45	Marion Lake	Dakota	MN	A	21 ft	14
46	Sullivan Lake	Morrison	MN	A	57 ft	18
47	Vermont Lake	Douglas	MN	A	59 ft	11
48	Eagle Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	A	67 ft	17
49	Eagle Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	46 ft	10
50	West Fox Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	55 ft	15

Showing top 50 of 784 lakes with green sunfish.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have green sunfish?

Green Sunfish are found in 784 graded lakes: 698 in Minnesota, 86 in Michigan. The average water quality grade of lakes with green sunfish is C (Fair).

What are the best lakes for green sunfish?

The best green sunfish lakes by water quality are Lobster Lake, East Fox Lake, Clearwater Lake, Clearwater Lake, Lower Hay Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where green sunfish have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with green sunfish?

Green Sunfish are most commonly found alongside green sunfish, bluegill, black crappie, northern pike, yellow perch. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Green Sunfish Lakes

Bluegill Lakes

Found together in 661 lakes · 1,601 total

Black Crappie Lakes

Found together in 647 lakes · 1,428 total

Northern Pike Lakes

Found together in 644 lakes · 2,487 total

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 636 lakes · 1,631 total

Hybrid Sunfish Lakes

Found together in 629 lakes · 1,120 total

Largemouth Bass Lakes

Found together in 623 lakes · 2,593 total

Fish species from state agency survey, stocking, and public fishing-access records; water-quality grades from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys. Species profiles are general reference; always check current state regulations before fishing.