Orangespotted Sunfish Fishing Guide: 61 Lakes

Rough fish like Orangespotted Sunfish are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 61 the United States (49 states), Canada (Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador), and 38 other country hubs. LakeQuality covers lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Orangespotted Sunfish is narrowly distributed — only 61 lakes in Minnesota 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 phosphorus and chlorophyll-a readings on: a rough-fish-heavy fishery often reflects an underlying nutrient-loading problem in the watershed. Cross-reference the Orangespotted Sunfish lake list below against each lake's clarity, phosphorus and algae readings: lakes with low nutrient readings and Orangespotted Sunfish documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Orangespotted Sunfish Seasonal Forecast & Techniques

Part of the LakeQuality Fishing Forecast. Spawn trigger: Colonial bedders — fan spawning beds in warm shallow bays at 67–80°F, late spring into summer. Forage: Insects, larvae, zooplankton, small invertebrates. For a forecast tuned to a specific lake's measured clarity and depth, open that lake's forecast.

Season	Where they hold	Structure & cover	Technique
Spring	shallow 1–6 ft	spawning beds in warm bays, near cover	small jigs, live worm/waxworm under a float
Summer	weed edges 5–15 ft	deeper weed edges by midsummer, docks, brush	ice-jigs tipped with plastics/live bait, small flies
Fall	mid 8–18 ft	deeper weedlines and basin edges	small jigs vertically, tiny spoons
Winter / Ice	8–20 ft	basin holes and deep weed edges	tungsten ice jigs with waxworms/plastics

Clear-water tactics:tiny natural jigs, light linesmall flies & plasticsStained-water tactics:brighter jigs & a little scentslower presentations

Total Lakes

Minnesota lakes →

14 ft

Avg. Depth

Best Orangespotted Sunfish Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with orangespotted sunfish, ranked on nutrient and algae readings.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Depth	Species
1	Green Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	110 ft	22
2	Allie Lake	Renville	MN	12 ft	13
3	Sarah Lake	Murray	MN	10 ft	10
4	Big Kandiyohi Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	18 ft	16
5	Round Grove Lake	McLeod	MN	7 ft	7
6	Currant Lake	Murray	MN	9.5 ft	9
7	Round Lake	Jackson	MN	9 ft	17
8	Emily Lake	Pope	MN	6 ft	26
9	Willmar Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	14 ft	18
10	Wood Lake	Yellow Medicine	MN	9 ft	11
11	Buffalo Lake	Murray	MN	8.5 ft	7
12	Cottonwood Lake	Cottonwood	MN	10 ft	15
13	Little Spirit Lake	Jackson	MN	8 ft	23
14	Lower Elk Lake	Grant	MN	13 ft	12
15	Okabena Lake	Nobles	MN	16 ft	18
16	Kansas Lake	Watonwan	MN	7 ft	14
17	High Island Lake	Sibley	MN	6.5 ft	11
18	Yankton Lake	Lyon	MN	8 ft	15
19	Mud Lake	Martin	MN	19 ft	17
20	Long Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	16 ft	16
21	Clear Lake	Martin	MN	7 ft	12
22	East Solomon Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	14 ft	15
23	Charlotte Lake	Stevens	MN	20 ft	10
24	Rice Lake	Hennepin	MN	11.5 ft	16
25	Hall Lake	Martin	MN	27 ft	19
26	Collinwood Lake	Wright	MN	28 ft	18
27	Loon Lake	Jackson	MN	8 ft	18
28	Buffalo Lake	Wright	MN	33 ft	20
29	Amber Lake	Martin	MN	19 ft	17
30	Preston Lake	Renville	MN	11 ft	13
31	Cottonwood Lake	Lyon	MN	7 ft	10
32	Stay Lake	Lincoln	MN	6 ft	12
33	East Toqua Lake	Big Stone	MN	9 ft	15
34	Split Rock Reservoir	Pipestone	MN	16 ft	12
35	Ocheda Lake	Nobles	MN	5 ft	10
36	Willie Lake	Meeker	MN	17 ft	19
37	Winsted Lake	McLeod	MN	12 ft	13
38	East Graham Lake	Nobles	MN	8 ft	15
39	Willmert Lake	Martin	MN	8 ft	11
40	Bright Lake	Martin	MN	7 ft	20
41	West Graham Lake	Nobles	MN	8 ft	17
42	Temperance Lake	Martin	MN	5 ft	10
43	Bloody Lake	Murray	MN	9 ft	15
44	Corabelle Lake	Murray	MN	6 ft	8
45	Shetek Lake	Murray	MN	10 ft	17
46	Unnamed Lake	Big Stone	MN	15 ft	8
47	Barrett Lake	Grant	MN	28 ft	23
48	Laura Lake	Redwood	MN	21 ft	13
49	Tyson Lake	Yellow Medicine	MN	8 ft	8
50	Fountain Lake	Freeborn	MN	14 ft	17

Showing top 50 of 61 lakes with orangespotted sunfish.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have orangespotted sunfish?

Orangespotted Sunfish are documented in 61 lakes: 61 in Minnesota.

What are the best lakes for orangespotted sunfish?

The best orangespotted sunfish lakes by water quality are Green Lake, Allie Lake, Sarah Lake, Big Kandiyohi Lake, Round Grove Lake. These lakes carry the lowest nutrient and algae readings among all lakes where orangespotted sunfish have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with orangespotted sunfish?

Orangespotted Sunfish are most commonly found alongside black bullhead, orangespotted sunfish, common carp, yellow perch, black crappie. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Orangespotted Sunfish Lakes

Black Bullhead Lakes

Found together in 61 lakes · 911 total

Common Carp Lakes

Found together in 59 lakes · 487 total

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 59 lakes · 1,577 total

Black Crappie Lakes

Found together in 55 lakes · 1,386 total

Walleye Lakes

Found together in 53 lakes · 1,884 total

White Sucker Lakes

Found together in 53 lakes · 1,211 total

Fish species from state agency survey, stocking, and public fishing-access records; water-quality readings from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys. Species profiles are general reference; always check current state regulations before fishing.