Green Sunfish Fishing Guide: 753 Lakes by Water Quality

Green Sunfish is panfish — the family of smaller, abundant species that anchor kid-friendly fishing and ice-fishing in the United States (49 states), Canada (Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador), and 38 other country hubs. LakeQuality covers. Documented in 753 lakes across our dataset. With 674 lakes in Minnesota and 79 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 each lake's clarity, phosphorus and algae readings: lakes with low nutrient readings 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

753

Total Lakes

674

Minnesota lakes →

Michigan lakes →

46 ft

Avg. Depth

Best Green Sunfish Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with green sunfish, ranked on nutrient and algae readings.

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

Showing top 50 of 753 lakes with green sunfish.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have green sunfish?

Green Sunfish are documented in 753 lakes: 674 in Minnesota, 79 in Michigan.

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 carry the lowest nutrient and algae readings 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 637 lakes · 1,550 total

Black Crappie Lakes

Found together in 623 lakes · 1,386 total

Northern Pike Lakes

Found together in 620 lakes · 2,386 total

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 612 lakes · 1,577 total

Hybrid Sunfish Lakes

Found together in 605 lakes · 1,090 total

Largemouth Bass Lakes

Found together in 599 lakes · 2,489 total

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