muskellunge Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 128 Minnesota 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

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best muskellunge Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.1 ft	55 ft
2	Ida Lake	Douglas	A	16.5 ft	106 ft
3	Andrusia Lake	Beltrami	A	15.5 ft	60 ft
4	Girl Lake	Cass	A	17 ft	81 ft
5	Lizzie Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.4 ft	66 ft
6	Pokegama Lake	Itasca	A	16 ft	112 ft
7	Pickerel Lake	Becker	A	18 ft	74 ft
8	Alexander Lake	Morrison	A	16.5 ft	64 ft
9	Miltona Lake	Douglas	A	18.8 ft	105 ft
10	West Battle Lake	Otter Tail	A	18.2 ft	108 ft
11	Mina Lake	Douglas	A	16 ft	123 ft
12	North Star Lake	Itasca	A	19 ft	90 ft
13	White Bear Lake	Washington	A	15 ft	83 ft
14	Big Sand Lake	Hubbard	A	23 ft	135 ft
15	Sugar Lake	Wright	A	17 ft	69 ft
16	Dumbbell Lake	Lake	A	15.8 ft	40 ft
17	Pokegama Lake	Itasca	A	57.4 ft	112 ft
18	Mons Lake	Todd	A	15.4 ft	80 ft
19	Kabekona Bay Lake	Cass	A	17.2 ft	150 ft
20	Ml-Thains Lake	Mille Lacs	A	16.1 ft	42 ft
21	Ml-Seventeen Lake	Aitkin	A	18.8 ft	42 ft
22	Ml Lake	Mille Lacs	A	20.2 ft	42 ft
23	Ml Lake	Mille Lacs	A	22.2 ft	42 ft
24	Ml-Vineland Lake	Mille Lacs	A	25.6 ft	42 ft
25	Ml-Peterson Lake	Mille Lacs	A	20.2 ft	42 ft
26	Ml-Malone Lake	Mille Lacs	A	17.5 ft	42 ft
27	Round Lake	Crow Wing	A	13.5 ft	51 ft
28	Round Lake	Becker	A	10.8 ft	69 ft
29	Detroit Lake	Becker	A	14 ft	89 ft
30	Deer Lake	Itasca	A	13.1 ft	121 ft
31	Benedict Lake	Hubbard	A	11 ft	91 ft
32	Green Lake	Kandiyohi	A	13.1 ft	110 ft
33	Cedar Lake	Aitkin	A	11 ft	105 ft
34	Gull Lake	Cass	A	14.5 ft	80 ft
35	Child Lake	Cass	A	11.3 ft	29 ft
36	Baby Lake	Cass	A	12.5 ft	69 ft
37	Inguadona Lake	Cass	A	12.1 ft	79 ft
38	Roosevelt Lake	Cass	A	11 ft	129 ft
39	Elk Lake	Clearwater	A	12.4 ft	93 ft
40	Bemidji Lake	Beltrami	A	12.5 ft	76 ft
41	Broadwater Bay Lake	Cass	A	14.5 ft	54 ft
42	Elbow Lake	Becker	A	12.1 ft	76 ft
43	Man Lake	Cass	A	11.2 ft	93 ft
44	Little Boy Lake	Cass	A	11 ft	74 ft
45	Shamineau Lake	Morrison	A	12.5 ft	52 ft
46	Wabedo Lake	Cass	A	10 ft	95 ft
47	Kitchi Lake	Beltrami	A	10.5 ft	50 ft
48	Louise Lake	Douglas	A	14.5 ft	33 ft
49	Many Point Lake	Becker	A	10.7 ft	92 ft
50	Lake Winnibigoshish	Cass	A	16 ft	69.8 ft

Showing top 50 of 128 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have muskellunge?

muskellunge are found in 128 lakes in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is B (Good).

What are the best muskellunge lakes in Minnesota?

The best muskellunge lakes in Minnesota by water quality are Pelican Lake, Ida Lake, Andrusia Lake, Girl Lake, Lizzie Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.