Northern pike Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 1,483 Minnesota lakes · 99 in Michigan

Northern pike is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 99 lakes carry documentation. Northern pike is narrowly distributed — only 99 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 Northern pike lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Northern pike documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

1,483

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

459

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Northern pike Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	East Fox Lake	Crow Wing	A	16.4 ft	65 ft
2	North Long Lake	Crow Wing	A	15.1 ft	97 ft
3	Bad Medicine Lake	Becker	A	25 ft	84 ft
4	Big Sugar Bush Lake	Becker	A	16.5 ft	42 ft
5	Round Lake	Cook	A	16.5 ft	45 ft
6	Horseshoe Lake	Cass	A	21 ft	51 ft
7	Long Lake	Cass	A	21.5 ft	115 ft
8	Long Lake	Clearwater	A	20.5 ft	80 ft
9	Long Lake	Beltrami	A	20 ft	87 ft
10	Long Lake	Becker	A	19.3 ft	61 ft
11	Long Lake	Cass	A	17 ft	37 ft
12	Long Lake	Itasca	A	16.7 ft	72 ft
13	Long Lake	Itasca	A	16.9 ft	85 ft
14	Dead Lake	Hubbard	A	16 ft	34 ft
15	Otter Lake	Otter Tail	A	18 ft	64 ft
16	Ossawinnamakee Lake	Crow Wing	A	20 ft	63 ft
17	Clear Lake	Crow Wing	A	18 ft	63 ft
18	Clear Lake	Aitkin	A	15 ft	24 ft
19	Clear Lake	Itasca	A	14.9 ft	30 ft
20	Eagle Lake	Otter Tail	A	22.6 ft	46 ft
21	West Fox Lake	Crow Wing	A	15 ft	55 ft
22	Spearhead Lake	Hubbard	A	15 ft	81 ft
23	Ida Lake	Douglas	A	16.4 ft	106 ft
24	Star Lake	Crow Wing	A	19 ft	83 ft
25	Star Lake	Otter Tail	A	17 ft	94 ft
26	Upper Maple Lake	Wright	A	17.2 ft	76 ft
27	Fish Lake	Otter Tail	A	18 ft	69 ft
28	Birch Lake	Wright	A	15 ft	52 ft
29	Birch Lake	Unknown	A	15 ft	34 ft
30	Girl Lake	Cass	A	17.6 ft	81 ft
31	Little Toad Lake	Becker	A	15 ft	65 ft
32	Charlotte Lake	Wright	A	17.1 ft	46 ft
33	Bass Lake	Crow Wing	A	16.1 ft	47 ft
34	Bass Lake	Itasca	A	18.2 ft	65 ft
35	Bass Lake	Cass	A	-	55 ft
36	Crooked Lake	Stearns	A	15.5 ft	35 ft
37	Crooked Lake	Crow Wing	A	15 ft	54 ft
38	Cedar Lake	Morrison	A	16.2 ft	88 ft
39	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.4 ft	55 ft
40	Square Lake	Washington	A	17 ft	68 ft
41	Lower Bottle Lake	Hubbard	A	15 ft	110 ft
42	Big Pine Lake	Aitkin	A	17 ft	78 ft
43	Strawberry Lake	Becker	A	17.5 ft	40 ft
44	Alexander Lake	Morrison	A	16.5 ft	64 ft
45	Mcavity Lake	Itasca	A	17.3 ft	29 ft
46	Gull Lake	Cass	A	15 ft	80 ft
47	Deep Portage Lake	Cass	A	15.4 ft	105 ft
48	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	A	18.5 ft	100 ft
49	Latoka Lake	Douglas	A	19 ft	108 ft
50	Pike Lake	Cook	A	17.4 ft	45 ft

Showing top 50 of 1,483 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have northern pike?

Northern pike are found in 1,483 lakes in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is C (Fair).

What are the best northern pike lakes in Minnesota?

The best northern pike lakes in Minnesota by water quality are East Fox Lake, North Long Lake, Bad Medicine Lake, Big Sugar Bush Lake, Round Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.