Green sunfish Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 702 Minnesota lakes · 87 in Michigan

Rough fish like Green sunfish are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 87 Minnesota lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Green sunfish is narrowly distributed — only 87 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 Green sunfish lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Green sunfish documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

702

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

219

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Green sunfish Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	East Fox Lake	Crow Wing	A	16.4 ft	65 ft
2	North Long Lake	Crow Wing	A	15.1 ft	97 ft
3	Big Sugar Bush Lake	Becker	A	16.5 ft	42 ft
4	Long Lake	Cass	A	21.5 ft	115 ft
5	Long Lake	Clearwater	A	20.5 ft	80 ft
6	Long Lake	Becker	A	19.3 ft	61 ft
7	Ossawinnamakee Lake	Crow Wing	A	20 ft	63 ft
8	Clear Lake	Crow Wing	A	18 ft	63 ft
9	Clear Lake	Aitkin	A	15 ft	24 ft
10	Eagle Lake	Otter Tail	A	22.6 ft	46 ft
11	West Fox Lake	Crow Wing	A	15 ft	55 ft
12	Spearhead Lake	Hubbard	A	15 ft	81 ft
13	Ida Lake	Douglas	A	16.4 ft	106 ft
14	Star Lake	Crow Wing	A	19 ft	83 ft
15	Star Lake	Otter Tail	A	17 ft	94 ft
16	Upper Maple Lake	Wright	A	17.2 ft	76 ft
17	Girl Lake	Cass	A	17.6 ft	81 ft
18	Charlotte Lake	Wright	A	17.1 ft	46 ft
19	Bass Lake	Crow Wing	A	16.1 ft	47 ft
20	Crooked Lake	Crow Wing	A	15 ft	54 ft
21	Cedar Lake	Morrison	A	16.2 ft	88 ft
22	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.4 ft	55 ft
23	Square Lake	Washington	A	17 ft	68 ft
24	Big Pine Lake	Aitkin	A	17 ft	78 ft
25	Strawberry Lake	Becker	A	17.5 ft	40 ft
26	Alexander Lake	Morrison	A	16.5 ft	64 ft
27	Gull Lake	Cass	A	15 ft	80 ft
28	Little Wabana Lake	Itasca	A	24 ft	57 ft
29	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	A	18.5 ft	100 ft
30	Latoka Lake	Douglas	A	19 ft	108 ft
31	Unnamed Lake	Otter Tail	A	15.1 ft	95 ft
32	Cowdry Lake	Douglas	A	17.1 ft	52 ft
33	Andrusia Lake	Beltrami	A	15.1 ft	60 ft
34	Big Mcdonald Lake	Otter Tail	A	17.4 ft	46 ft
35	Island Lake	Cass	A	15.5 ft	45 ft
36	Island Lake	Becker	A	15 ft	38 ft
37	Island Lake	Crow Wing	A	15.1 ft	76 ft
38	Lizzie Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.4 ft	66 ft
39	Turtle Lake	Becker	A	23 ft	73 ft
40	Mukooda Lake	St. Louis	A	16.6 ft	78 ft
41	Pokegama Lake	Itasca	A	16.1 ft	112 ft
42	Pickerel Lake	Clearwater	A	16.1 ft	60 ft
43	George Lake	Kandiyohi	A	15 ft	34 ft
44	West Battle Lake	Otter Tail	A	18 ft	108 ft
45	Wabana Lake	Itasca	A	18 ft	115 ft
46	Little Mantrap Lake	Hubbard	A	17 ft	54 ft
47	Kimball Lake	Crow Wing	A	18.4 ft	77 ft
48	West Sylvia Lake	Wright	A	22 ft	97 ft
49	Mary Lake	Hubbard	A	18.8 ft	48 ft
50	Hand Lake	Cass	A	17 ft	57 ft

Showing top 50 of 702 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have green sunfish?

Green sunfish are found in 702 lakes in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is C (Fair).

What are the best green sunfish lakes in Minnesota?

The best green sunfish lakes in Minnesota by water quality are East Fox Lake, North Long Lake, Big Sugar Bush Lake, Long Lake, Long Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.