Lake Sturgeon Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 29 Minnesota lakes · 6 in Michigan

Trout species like Lake Sturgeon need cold, oxygen-rich water year-round — that constraint limits Lake Sturgeon to 35 lakes in Minnesota, mostly the deeper or spring-fed basins. Lake Sturgeon is narrowly distributed — only 29 lakes in Minnesota and 6 in Michigan have a documented record. The constraint is usually habitat: cold water, specific depth profile, or river connection.

Trout presence is itself a water-quality signal: a Minnesota lake that supports a Lake Sturgeon population is almost certainly running cold enough and oxygenated enough to also support healthier overall water quality. Trout-supporting lakes are almost universally A- or B-grade — the cold, deep, well-oxygenated conditions trout need produce the higher grades almost as a side effect.

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Lake Sturgeon Lakes Map

Every Minnesota lake with documented lake sturgeon, colored by water-quality grade.

Loading map…

Best Lake Sturgeon Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Round Lake	Becker	A	10 ft	69 ft
2	Detroit Lake	Becker	A	14 ft	89 ft
3	Deer Lake	Otter Tail	A	12.3 ft	26 ft
4	Otter Tail Lake	Otter Tail	A	12.1 ft	120 ft
5	White Earth Lake	Becker	A	15 ft	120 ft
6	Many Point Lake	Becker	A	10.7 ft	92 ft
7	Lake St Croix	Pierce	B	7.2 ft	78 ft
8	Pool	Washington	B	5.9 ft	78 ft
9	Little Pine Lake	Otter Tail	C	9.5 ft	63 ft
10	Big Pine Lake	Otter Tail	C	8.7 ft	76 ft
11	Upper Red Lake: West-Central	Beltrami	C	2 ft	15 ft
12	Rush Lake	Otter Tail	C	7.5 ft	68 ft
13	Pool of Lake St Croix	Washington	C	4.3 ft	78 ft
14	Upper Red Lake: East Central	Beltrami	C	2 ft	15 ft
15	Upper Estuary Lake	St. Louis	C	1.9 ft	55 ft
16	Upper Red Lake: East	Beltrami	D	2 ft	15 ft
17	Upper Red Lake: West	Beltrami	D	2 ft	15 ft
18	Upper Red Lake: Central	Beltrami	D	2 ft	15 ft
19	Pokegama Lake	Pine	F	2 ft	25 ft
20	Kabetogama Lake	St. Louis	NR	4.4 ft	80 ft
21	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	NR	11.5 ft	150 ft
22	Kabetogama Lake	St. Louis	NR	4.9 ft	80 ft
23	Kabetogama Lake	St. Louis	NR	4.8 ft	80 ft
24	Sand Point Lake	St. Louis	NR	6.6 ft	184 ft
25	East Lost Lake	Otter Tail	NR	12 ft	26 ft
26	Pepin Lake	Pepin	NR	3 ft	60 ft
27	Becker Lake	Becker	NR	-	120 ft
28	Wright Lake	Otter Tail	NR	13.7 ft	32 ft
29	Hoot Lake	Otter Tail	NR	11.7 ft	20 ft

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have lake sturgeon?

Lake Sturgeon are found in 29 lakes in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is C (Fair).

What are the best lake sturgeon lakes in Minnesota?

The best lake sturgeon lakes in Minnesota by water quality are Round Lake, Detroit Lake, Deer Lake, Otter Tail Lake, White Earth Lake.

Fish species from state agency survey, stocking, and public fishing-access records; water-quality grades from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys.