Northern Sunfish Lakes in Minnesota, 36 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 each lake's clarity, phosphorus and algae readings: lakes with low nutrient readings and Northern Sunfish documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Minnesota Lakes

Counties

Northern Sunfish Lakes Map

Every Minnesota lake with documented northern sunfish.

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Best Northern Sunfish Lakes in Minnesota

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have northern sunfish?

Northern Sunfish are found in 36 lakes in Minnesota.

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 readings from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys.