muskellunge Lakes in Minnesota & Wisconsin

Other SpeciesFound in 128 lakes

muskellunge is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 128 lakes carry documentation. muskellunge is moderately distributed — present in 128 Minnesota lakes and 0 Wisconsin lakes. Some counties have it, others do not, so checking the per-lake pages matters.

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

128

Total Lakes

128

Minnesota

Wisconsin

Avg. Grade

63 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of muskellunge Lakes

40%

28%

18%

10%

Best muskellunge Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with muskellunge ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	55 ft	20
2	Ida Lake	Douglas	MN	A	106 ft	19
3	Andrusia Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	60 ft	21
4	Girl Lake	Cass	MN	A	81 ft	18
5	Lizzie Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	66 ft	21
6	Pokegama Lake	Itasca	MN	A	112 ft	19
7	Pickerel Lake	Becker	MN	A	74 ft	14
8	Alexander Lake	Morrison	MN	A	64 ft	19
9	Miltona Lake	Douglas	MN	A	105 ft	19
10	West Battle Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	108 ft	17
11	Mina Lake	Douglas	MN	A	123 ft	18
12	North Star Lake	Itasca	MN	A	90 ft	13
13	White Bear Lake	Washington	MN	A	83 ft	18
14	Big Sand Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	135 ft	16
15	Sugar Lake	Wright	MN	A	69 ft	16
16	Dumbbell Lake	Lake	MN	A	40 ft	6
17	Pokegama Lake	Itasca	MN	A	112 ft	19
18	Mons Lake	Todd	MN	A	80 ft	15
19	Kabekona Bay Lake	Cass	MN	A	150 ft	18
20	Ml-Thains Lake	Mille Lacs	MN	A	42 ft	21
21	Ml-Seventeen Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	42 ft	21
22	Ml Lake	Mille Lacs	MN	A	42 ft	21
23	Ml Lake	Mille Lacs	MN	A	42 ft	21
24	Ml-Vineland Lake	Mille Lacs	MN	A	42 ft	21
25	Ml-Peterson Lake	Mille Lacs	MN	A	42 ft	21
26	Ml-Malone Lake	Mille Lacs	MN	A	42 ft	21
27	Round Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	51 ft	20
28	Round Lake	Becker	MN	A	69 ft	18
29	Detroit Lake	Becker	MN	A	89 ft	19
30	Deer Lake	Itasca	MN	A	121 ft	17
31	Benedict Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	91 ft	16
32	Green Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	A	110 ft	22
33	Cedar Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	105 ft	22
34	Gull Lake	Cass	MN	A	80 ft	22
35	Child Lake	Cass	MN	A	29 ft	17
36	Baby Lake	Cass	MN	A	69 ft	16
37	Inguadona Lake	Cass	MN	A	79 ft	20
38	Roosevelt Lake	Cass	MN	A	129 ft	18
39	Elk Lake	Clearwater	MN	A	93 ft	16
40	Bemidji Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	76 ft	16
41	Broadwater Bay Lake	Cass	MN	A	54 ft	22
42	Elbow Lake	Becker	MN	A	76 ft	17
43	Man Lake	Cass	MN	A	93 ft	14
44	Little Boy Lake	Cass	MN	A	74 ft	18
45	Shamineau Lake	Morrison	MN	A	52 ft	18
46	Wabedo Lake	Cass	MN	A	95 ft	19
47	Kitchi Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	50 ft	16
48	Louise Lake	Douglas	MN	A	33 ft	18
49	Many Point Lake	Becker	MN	A	92 ft	16
50	Lake Winnibigoshish	Cass	MN	A	69.8 ft	20

Showing top 50 of 128 lakes with muskellunge.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have muskellunge?

muskellunge are found in 128 lakes across Minnesota and Wisconsin, 128 in Minnesota and 0 in Wisconsin. The average water quality grade of lakes with muskellunge is B (Good).

What are the best lakes for muskellunge?

The best muskellunge lakes by water quality are Pelican Lake, Ida Lake, Andrusia Lake, Girl Lake, Lizzie Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where muskellunge have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with muskellunge?

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

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.