green sunfish Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 669 Minnesota lakes

Rough fish like green sunfish are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 669 Minnesota lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. With 669 Minnesota lakes and 0 in Wisconsin documenting green sunfish, the species is one of the more accessible targets in the dataset.

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.

669

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

218

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best green sunfish Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	East Fox Lake	Crow Wing	A	16.1 ft	65 ft
2	Little Wabana Lake	Itasca	A	23.8 ft	57 ft
3	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	A	19 ft	100 ft
4	Latoka Lake	Douglas	A	19 ft	108 ft
5	Big Sugar Bush Lake	Becker	A	17 ft	42 ft
6	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.1 ft	55 ft
7	Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	A	15.1 ft	138 ft
8	Long Lake	Clearwater	A	20 ft	80 ft
9	Long Lake	Cass	A	21.8 ft	115 ft
10	Long Lake	Becker	A	20 ft	61 ft
11	Unnamed Lake	Otter Tail	A	15.1 ft	95 ft
12	Chippewa Lake	Douglas	A	15.1 ft	95 ft
13	Cowdry Lake	Douglas	A	17 ft	52 ft
14	Ossawinnamakee Lake	Crow Wing	A	20 ft	63 ft
15	Clear Lake	Crow Wing	A	18 ft	63 ft
16	Clear Lake	Aitkin	A	16 ft	24 ft
17	Eagle Lake	Otter Tail	A	22.6 ft	46 ft
18	West Fox Lake	Crow Wing	A	15 ft	55 ft
19	Spearhead Lake	Hubbard	A	15 ft	81 ft
20	Ida Lake	Douglas	A	16.5 ft	106 ft
21	Star Lake	Crow Wing	A	19 ft	83 ft
22	Star Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.7 ft	94 ft
23	Upper Maple Lake	Wright	A	18 ft	76 ft
24	Square Lake	Washington	A	17 ft	68 ft
25	Andrusia Lake	Beltrami	A	15.5 ft	60 ft
26	Girl Lake	Cass	A	17 ft	81 ft
27	Charlotte Lake	Wright	A	17.1 ft	46 ft
28	Big Mcdonald Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.4 ft	46 ft
29	Bass Lake	Crow Wing	A	16.1 ft	47 ft
30	Island Lake	Cass	A	15 ft	45 ft
31	Island Lake	Crow Wing	A	15.3 ft	76 ft
32	Crooked Lake	Crow Wing	A	15 ft	54 ft
33	Cedar Lake	Morrison	A	16.4 ft	88 ft
34	Big Pine Lake	Aitkin	A	16.5 ft	78 ft
35	Lizzie Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.4 ft	66 ft
36	Turtle Lake	Becker	A	23 ft	73 ft
37	Mukooda Lake	St. Louis	A	16.6 ft	78 ft
38	Pokegama Lake	Itasca	A	16 ft	112 ft
39	Pickerel Lake	Clearwater	A	16.1 ft	60 ft
40	Strawberry Lake	Becker	A	17.8 ft	40 ft
41	Alexander Lake	Morrison	A	16.5 ft	64 ft
42	George Lake	Kandiyohi	A	15 ft	34 ft
43	Hand Lake	Cass	A	17 ft	57 ft
44	Courthouse Lake	Carver	A	20 ft	57 ft
45	Miltona Lake	Douglas	A	18.8 ft	105 ft
46	West Battle Lake	Otter Tail	A	18.2 ft	108 ft
47	Wabana Lake	Itasca	A	18 ft	115 ft
48	Little Mantrap Lake	Hubbard	A	17 ft	54 ft
49	Kimball Lake	Crow Wing	A	17.4 ft	77 ft
50	West Sylvia Lake	Wright	A	22 ft	97 ft

Showing top 50 of 669 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have green sunfish?

green sunfish are found in 669 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, Little Wabana Lake, Lower Hay Lake, Latoka Lake, Big Sugar Bush Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.