hybrid sunfish Lakes in Minnesota & Wisconsin

Other SpeciesFound in 1,073 lakes

Rough fish like hybrid sunfish are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 1,073 Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. hybrid sunfish is widely distributed: 1,073 lakes in Minnesota and 0 in Wisconsin. That breadth means anglers in most counties of either state can find a documented hybrid sunfish lake within a reasonable drive.

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 hybrid sunfish lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and hybrid sunfish documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

1,073

Total Lakes

1,073

Minnesota

Wisconsin

Avg. Grade

46 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of hybrid sunfish Lakes

370

34%

256

24%

221

21%

139

13%

Best hybrid sunfish Lakes by Water Quality

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

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	East Fox Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	65 ft	15
2	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	100 ft	21
3	Latoka Lake	Douglas	MN	A	108 ft	16
4	Bad Medicine Lake	Becker	MN	A	84 ft	13
5	Big Sugar Bush Lake	Becker	MN	A	42 ft	13
6	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	55 ft	20
7	Round Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	59 ft	15
8	Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	138 ft	23
9	Horseshoe Lake	Cass	MN	A	51 ft	12
10	Long Lake	Clearwater	MN	A	80 ft	15
11	Long Lake	Cass	MN	A	115 ft	14
12	Long Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	87 ft	11
13	Long Lake	Becker	MN	A	61 ft	16
14	Long Lake	Cass	MN	A	37 ft	12
15	Long Lake	Itasca	MN	A	72 ft	10
16	Long Lake	Itasca	MN	A	85 ft	12
17	Unnamed Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	95 ft	17
18	Shallow Lake	Itasca	MN	A	85 ft	12
19	Trout Lake	Itasca	MN	A	135 ft	15
20	Chippewa Lake	Douglas	MN	A	95 ft	19
21	Cowdry Lake	Douglas	MN	A	52 ft	19
22	Ossawinnamakee Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	63 ft	18
23	Clear Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	63 ft	15
24	Clear Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	24 ft	14
25	Eagle Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	46 ft	10
26	West Fox Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	55 ft	15
27	Spearhead Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	81 ft	17
28	Ida Lake	Douglas	MN	A	106 ft	19
29	Star Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	83 ft	12
30	Star Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	94 ft	17
31	Upper Maple Lake	Wright	MN	A	76 ft	15
32	Partridge Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	42 ft	10
33	Fish Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	69 ft	17
34	Sand Lake	Cass	MN	A	54 ft	12
35	Roger Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	64 ft	12
36	Square Lake	Washington	MN	A	68 ft	9
37	Andrusia Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	60 ft	21
38	Girl Lake	Cass	MN	A	81 ft	18
39	Little Toad Lake	Becker	MN	A	65 ft	15
40	Charlotte Lake	Wright	MN	A	46 ft	10
41	Big Mcdonald Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	46 ft	15
42	Bass Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	47 ft	14
43	Bass Lake	Cass	MN	A	55 ft	12
44	Island Lake	Cass	MN	A	45 ft	12
45	Island Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	76 ft	19
46	Island Lake	Cass	MN	A	40 ft	13
47	Island Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	32 ft	13
48	Island Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	36 ft	9
49	Crooked Lake	Stearns	MN	A	35 ft	10
50	Crooked Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	54 ft	16

Showing top 50 of 1,073 lakes with hybrid sunfish.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have hybrid sunfish?

hybrid sunfish are found in 1,073 lakes across Minnesota and Wisconsin, 1,073 in Minnesota and 0 in Wisconsin. The average water quality grade of lakes with hybrid sunfish is C (Fair).

What are the best lakes for hybrid sunfish?

The best hybrid sunfish lakes by water quality are East Fox Lake, Lower Hay Lake, Latoka Lake, Bad Medicine Lake, Big Sugar Bush Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where hybrid sunfish have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with hybrid sunfish?

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

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.