Muskellunge Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 130 Minnesota lakes · 10 in Michigan

Muskellunge is one of the headline game-fish species in Minnesota — the kind of catch that anchors fishing trips, cabin weekends, and the regional fishing economy. 10 lakes in our dataset have documented Muskellunge. Muskellunge is narrowly distributed — only 10 lakes in Michigan have a documented record. The constraint is usually habitat: cold water, specific depth profile, or river connection.

Game-fish presence on a Minnesota lake also signals enough water-quality stability to support the prey species the game fish depend on — perch, alewife, ciscoes — which themselves require reasonably oxygenated, clear water. On the LakeGrade rubric, the cleanest Muskellunge lakes tend to also be the highest-graded — the same water-clarity and nutrient conditions that support the species also produce the higher grades.

130

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Muskellunge Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Ida Lake	Douglas	A	16.4 ft	106 ft
2	Girl Lake	Cass	A	17.6 ft	81 ft
3	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.4 ft	55 ft
4	Alexander Lake	Morrison	A	16.5 ft	64 ft
5	Gull Lake	Cass	A	15 ft	80 ft
6	Andrusia Lake	Beltrami	A	15.1 ft	60 ft
7	Lizzie Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.4 ft	66 ft
8	Pokegama Lake	Itasca	A	16.1 ft	112 ft
9	Pickerel Lake	Becker	A	18 ft	74 ft
10	West Battle Lake	Otter Tail	A	18 ft	108 ft
11	Miltona Lake	Douglas	A	18.7 ft	105 ft
12	Mina Lake	Douglas	A	16 ft	123 ft
13	North Star Lake	Itasca	A	19 ft	90 ft
14	Big Sand Lake	Hubbard	A	23 ft	135 ft
15	Sugar Lake	Wright	A	16.5 ft	69 ft
16	Pokegama Lake	Itasca	A	17.5 ft	112 ft
17	Mons Lake	Todd	A	15.4 ft	80 ft
18	Kabekona Bay Lake	Cass	A	17.2 ft	150 ft
19	Cass Lake Allens Bay	Beltrami	A	16.6 ft	120 ft
20	Cass Lake	Beltrami	A	18.5 ft	120 ft
21	Round Lake	Crow Wing	A	13.5 ft	51 ft
22	Round Lake	Becker	A	10 ft	69 ft
23	Detroit Lake	Becker	A	14 ft	89 ft
24	Cedar Lake	Aitkin	A	11.1 ft	105 ft
25	Deer Lake	Itasca	A	13.1 ft	121 ft
26	Benedict Lake	Hubbard	A	11.5 ft	91 ft
27	Green Lake	Kandiyohi	A	14.1 ft	110 ft
28	Child Lake	Cass	A	12.1 ft	29 ft
29	Baby Lake	Cass	A	12.5 ft	69 ft
30	Inguadona Lake	Cass	A	12 ft	79 ft
31	White Bear Lake	Washington	A	14.4 ft	83 ft
32	Roosevelt Lake	Cass	A	11.1 ft	129 ft
33	Bemidji Lake	Beltrami	A	12.5 ft	76 ft
34	Broadwater Bay Lake	Cass	A	14.4 ft	54 ft
35	Man Lake	Cass	A	11 ft	93 ft
36	Elbow Lake	Becker	A	12.1 ft	76 ft
37	Little Boy Lake	Cass	A	11 ft	74 ft
38	Shamineau Lake	Morrison	A	12.5 ft	52 ft
39	Wabedo Lake	Cass	A	10.5 ft	95 ft
40	Dumbbell Lake	Lake	A	14.8 ft	40 ft
41	Louise Lake	Douglas	A	14.5 ft	33 ft
42	Many Point Lake	Becker	A	10.7 ft	92 ft
43	Tamarack Bay Lake	Cass	A	11.5 ft	69.8 ft
44	Cass Lake Pike Bay	Cass	A	13.6 ft	95 ft
45	Little Big Lake	Beltrami	B	9.3 ft	35 ft
46	Steamboat Bay Lake	Cass	B	9.8 ft	150 ft
47	Lobster Lake	Douglas	B	13 ft	65 ft
48	Minnetonka Lake	Hennepin	B	10 ft	113 ft
49	Big Lake	Beltrami	B	9.7 ft	35 ft
50	Mille Lacs Lake	Aitkin	B	10 ft	42 ft

Showing top 50 of 130 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have muskellunge?

Muskellunge are found in 130 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 Ida Lake, Girl Lake, Pelican Lake, Alexander Lake, Gull Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.