Lake sturgeon Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 38 Minnesota lakes · 6 in Michigan

Rough fish like Lake sturgeon are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 6 Minnesota lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Lake sturgeon is narrowly distributed — only 6 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 Lake sturgeon lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Lake sturgeon documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Lake sturgeon Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	White Earth Lake	Becker	A	15 ft	120 ft
2	Round Lake	Becker	A	10 ft	69 ft
3	Detroit Lake	Becker	A	14 ft	89 ft
4	Otter Tail Lake	Otter Tail	A	12.1 ft	120 ft
5	Many Point Lake	Becker	A	10.7 ft	92 ft
6	Deer Lake	Otter Tail	B	12.3 ft	26 ft
7	East Lost Lake	Otter Tail	B	12 ft	26 ft
8	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	B	11.5 ft	150 ft
9	Wright Lake	Otter Tail	B	13.7 ft	32 ft
10	Hoot Lake	Otter Tail	B	11.7 ft	20 ft
11	Lake St. Croix	Washington	B	5.2 ft	78 ft
12	Little Pine Lake	Otter Tail	B	9.5 ft	63 ft
13	Big Pine Lake	Otter Tail	B	8.7 ft	76 ft
14	Rush Lake	Otter Tail	B	7.5 ft	68 ft
15	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	C	8.2 ft	150 ft
16	Sand Point Lake	St. Louis	C	7.5 ft	184 ft
17	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	C	9.8 ft	150 ft
18	St. Croix Lake	Washington	C	8.7 ft	78 ft
19	Pool of Lake St. Croix	Washington	C	4.3 ft	78 ft
20	Pool on Lake St. Croix	Washington	C	5.9 ft	78 ft
21	Kabetogama Lake	St. Louis	D	4.4 ft	80 ft
22	Kabetogama Lake	St. Louis	D	3.8 ft	80 ft
23	Kabetogama Lake	St. Louis	D	4.8 ft	80 ft
24	Kabetogama Lake	St. Louis	D	5.9 ft	80 ft
25	Sand Point Lake	St. Louis	D	6.6 ft	184 ft
26	Sand Point Lake	St. Louis	D	5.9 ft	184 ft
27	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	D	4.1 ft	150 ft
28	Kabetogama Lake	St. Louis	D	5.9 ft	80 ft
29	Upper Red Lake: West-Central	Beltrami	D	2 ft	15 ft
30	Upper Red Lake: East	Beltrami	D	2 ft	15 ft
31	Upper Red Lake: West	Beltrami	D	2 ft	15 ft
32	Upper Red Lake: East Central	Beltrami	D	2 ft	15 ft
33	Upper Red Lake: Central	Beltrami	D	2 ft	15 ft
34	Becker Lake	Becker	D	-	120 ft
35	Upper Estuary Lake	St. Louis	D	1.9 ft	55 ft
36	Kabetogama Lake	St. Louis	F	2.6 ft	80 ft
37	Pokegama Lake	Pine	F	2 ft	25 ft
38	Pepin Lake	Pepin	F	3 ft	60 ft

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have lake sturgeon?

Lake sturgeon are found in 38 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 White Earth Lake, Round Lake, Detroit Lake, Otter Tail Lake, Many Point Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.