Northern Sunfish Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 36 Minnesota lakes

Panfish like Northern Sunfish are the workhorses of Minnesota recreational fishing — abundant, accessible, present in 36 surveyed lakes. Northern Sunfish is narrowly distributed — only 36 lakes in Minnesota have a documented record. The constraint is usually habitat: cold water, specific depth profile, or river connection.

Panfish species like Northern Sunfish tolerate a wide range of water quality, so their presence in a lake says less about the lake than the absence of a game-fish would. Cross-reference the Northern Sunfish lake list below against the letter grades: lakes with both an A or B grade and Northern Sunfish documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Northern Sunfish Lakes Map

Every Minnesota lake with documented northern sunfish, colored by water-quality grade.

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Best Northern Sunfish Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	A	14.4 ft	138 ft
2	Eagle Lake	Hubbard	A	11.2 ft	77 ft
3	Little Pine Lake	Crow Wing	A	10 ft	36 ft
4	Island Lake	Crow Wing	A	15.1 ft	76 ft
5	Island Lake	Hubbard	A	10.5 ft	65 ft
6	Turtle Lake	Beltrami	A	10.2 ft	45 ft
7	Lawrence Lake	Cass	A	9.8 ft	71 ft
8	Baby Lake	Cass	A	12.5 ft	69 ft
9	North Star Lake	Itasca	A	19 ft	90 ft
10	Broadwater Bay Lake	Cass	A	14.4 ft	54 ft
11	Rush Lake	Crow Wing	A	18 ft	105 ft
12	Bluewater Lake	Itasca	A	18.5 ft	120 ft
13	Three Island Lake	Beltrami	A	11.8 ft	25 ft
14	Pig Lake	Crow Wing	A	17.2 ft	56 ft
15	Beltrami Lake	Beltrami	A	11.2 ft	50 ft
16	Clamshell Lake	Crow Wing	A	15.1 ft	44 ft
17	Movil Lake	Beltrami	A	14 ft	50 ft
18	Kabekona Lake	Hubbard	A	12.1 ft	133 ft
19	Leavitt Lake	Cass	A	7.9 ft	60 ft
20	Bertha Lake	Crow Wing	A	17.1 ft	64 ft
21	Jack Lake	Cass	A	15.7 ft	110 ft
22	Hen Lake	Crow Wing	A	17.1 ft	105 ft
23	Peary Lake	St. Louis	B	6.7 ft	15 ft
24	Little Turtle Lake	Beltrami	C	6.5 ft	25 ft
25	Turtle River Lake	Beltrami	C	8.5 ft	63 ft
26	Daggett Lake	Crow Wing	C	8.7 ft	23 ft
27	Long Lake	Itasca	NR	7.5 ft	34 ft
28	Spearhead Lake	Hubbard	NR	15 ft	81 ft
29	Bass Lake	Itasca	NR	13.5 ft	76 ft
30	Moose Lake	Itasca	NR	11.5 ft	61 ft
31	Basswood Lake	Lake	NR	9 ft	111 ft
32	Sucker Lake	Lake	NR	12 ft	111 ft
33	Balsam Lake	Itasca	NR	10.5 ft	37 ft
34	Little Moose Lake	Itasca	NR	8 ft	23 ft
35	Clubhouse Lake	Itasca	NR	18 ft	103 ft
36	Little Clubhouse Lake	Itasca	NR	13 ft	103 ft

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have northern sunfish?

Northern Sunfish are found in 36 lakes in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is A (Excellent).

What are the best northern sunfish lakes in Minnesota?

The best northern sunfish lakes in Minnesota by water quality are Whitefish Lake, Eagle Lake, Little Pine Lake, Island Lake, Island Lake.

Fish species from state agency survey, stocking, and public fishing-access records; water-quality grades from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys.