northern sunfish Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 34 Minnesota lakes

Rough fish like northern sunfish are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 34 Minnesota lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. northern sunfish is narrowly distributed — only 34 Minnesota lakes and 0 Wisconsin lakes 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 sunfish lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: 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

Best northern sunfish Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	A	15.1 ft	138 ft
2	Spearhead Lake	Hubbard	A	15 ft	81 ft
3	Island Lake	Crow Wing	A	15.3 ft	76 ft
4	North Star Lake	Itasca	A	19 ft	90 ft
5	Rush Lake	Crow Wing	A	18 ft	105 ft
6	Bluewater Lake	Itasca	A	18.5 ft	120 ft
7	Pig Lake	Crow Wing	A	17.5 ft	56 ft
8	Clamshell Lake	Crow Wing	A	15.1 ft	44 ft
9	Bertha Lake	Crow Wing	A	17.2 ft	64 ft
10	Jack Lake	Cass	A	15.7 ft	110 ft
11	Hen Lake	Crow Wing	A	17.6 ft	105 ft
12	Eagle Lake	Hubbard	A	11.3 ft	77 ft
13	Little Pine Lake	Crow Wing	A	10.2 ft	36 ft
14	Island Lake	Hubbard	A	10.5 ft	65 ft
15	Lawrence Lake	Cass	A	10 ft	71 ft
16	Baby Lake	Cass	A	12.5 ft	69 ft
17	Broadwater Bay Lake	Cass	A	14.5 ft	54 ft
18	Three Island Lake	Beltrami	A	12 ft	25 ft
19	Beltrami Lake	Beltrami	A	11 ft	50 ft
20	Movil Lake	Beltrami	A	14 ft	50 ft
21	Kabekona Lake	Hubbard	A	11.8 ft	133 ft
22	Bass Lake	Itasca	B	13.5 ft	76 ft
23	Moose Lake	Itasca	B	11.5 ft	61 ft
24	Turtle Lake	Beltrami	B	9.5 ft	45 ft
25	Sucker Lake	Lake	B	12 ft	111 ft
26	Balsam Lake	Itasca	B	10.5 ft	37 ft
27	Leavitt Lake	Cass	B	8.4 ft	60 ft
28	Peary Lake	St. Louis	B	6.7 ft	15 ft
29	Little Turtle Lake	Beltrami	B	7 ft	25 ft
30	Turtle River Lake	Beltrami	B	8.7 ft	63 ft
31	Daggett Lake	Crow Wing	B	8.9 ft	23 ft
32	Long Lake	Itasca	C	7.3 ft	34 ft
33	Basswood Lake	Lake	C	9 ft	111 ft
34	Little Moose Lake	Itasca	C	8 ft	23 ft

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have northern sunfish?

northern sunfish are found in 34 lakes in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is B (Good).

What are the best northern sunfish lakes in Minnesota?

The best northern sunfish lakes in Minnesota by water quality are Whitefish Lake, Spearhead Lake, Island Lake, North Star Lake, Rush Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.