hybrid sunfish Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 1,124 Minnesota lakes

Rough fish like hybrid sunfish are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 1,124 Minnesota lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. hybrid sunfish is widely distributed: 1,124 lakes in Minnesota. That breadth means anglers across most of the coverage area 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.

1,124

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

378

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best hybrid 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	Bad Medicine Lake	Becker	A	25 ft	84 ft
4	Big Sugar Bush Lake	Becker	A	16.5 ft	42 ft
5	Horseshoe Lake	Cass	A	21 ft	51 ft
6	Long Lake	Cass	A	21.5 ft	115 ft
7	Long Lake	Clearwater	A	20.5 ft	80 ft
8	Long Lake	Beltrami	A	20 ft	87 ft
9	Long Lake	Becker	A	19.3 ft	61 ft
10	Long Lake	Cass	A	17 ft	37 ft
11	Long Lake	Itasca	A	16.7 ft	72 ft
12	Long Lake	Itasca	A	16.9 ft	85 ft
13	Ossawinnamakee Lake	Crow Wing	A	20 ft	63 ft
14	Clear Lake	Crow Wing	A	18 ft	63 ft
15	Clear Lake	Aitkin	A	15 ft	24 ft
16	Eagle Lake	Otter Tail	A	22.6 ft	46 ft
17	West Fox Lake	Crow Wing	A	15 ft	55 ft
18	Spearhead Lake	Hubbard	A	15 ft	81 ft
19	Ida Lake	Douglas	A	16.4 ft	106 ft
20	Star Lake	Crow Wing	A	19 ft	83 ft
21	Star Lake	Otter Tail	A	17 ft	94 ft
22	Upper Maple Lake	Wright	A	17.2 ft	76 ft
23	Fish Lake	Otter Tail	A	18 ft	69 ft
24	Girl Lake	Cass	A	17.6 ft	81 ft
25	Little Toad Lake	Becker	A	15 ft	65 ft
26	Charlotte Lake	Wright	A	17.1 ft	46 ft
27	Bass Lake	Crow Wing	A	16.1 ft	47 ft
28	Bass Lake	Cass	A	-	55 ft
29	Crooked Lake	Stearns	A	15.5 ft	35 ft
30	Crooked Lake	Crow Wing	A	15 ft	54 ft
31	Cedar Lake	Morrison	A	16.2 ft	88 ft
32	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.4 ft	55 ft
33	Square Lake	Washington	A	17 ft	68 ft
34	Big Pine Lake	Aitkin	A	17 ft	78 ft
35	Strawberry Lake	Becker	A	17.5 ft	40 ft
36	Alexander Lake	Morrison	A	16.5 ft	64 ft
37	Mcavity Lake	Itasca	A	17.3 ft	29 ft
38	Gull Lake	Cass	A	15 ft	80 ft
39	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	A	18.5 ft	100 ft
40	Latoka Lake	Douglas	A	19 ft	108 ft
41	Unnamed Lake	Otter Tail	A	15.1 ft	95 ft
42	Shallow Lake	Itasca	A	16.4 ft	85 ft
43	Trout Lake	Itasca	A	16 ft	135 ft
44	Cowdry Lake	Douglas	A	17.1 ft	52 ft
45	Partridge Lake	Crow Wing	A	16.2 ft	42 ft
46	Sand Lake	Cass	A	20 ft	54 ft
47	Andrusia Lake	Beltrami	A	15.1 ft	60 ft
48	Big Mcdonald Lake	Otter Tail	A	17.4 ft	46 ft
49	Island Lake	Cass	A	15.5 ft	45 ft
50	Island Lake	Becker	A	15 ft	38 ft

Showing top 50 of 1,124 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have hybrid sunfish?

hybrid sunfish are found in 1,124 lakes in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is C (Fair).

What are the best hybrid sunfish lakes in Minnesota?

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

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.