Orangespotted Sunfish Fishing Guide

Other SpeciesDocumented in 62 graded lakes across 1 state

Rough fish like Orangespotted Sunfish are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 62 the 49 states and 2 Canadian provinces LakeQuality covers lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Orangespotted Sunfish is narrowly distributed — only 62 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 grade 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 the letter grades: lakes with both an A or B grade 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 →

Avg. Grade

14 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Orangespotted Sunfish Lakes

19%

44%

Best Orangespotted Sunfish Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with orangespotted sunfish ranked by overall water quality grade.

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

Showing top 50 of 62 lakes with orangespotted sunfish.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have orangespotted sunfish?

Orangespotted Sunfish are found in 62 graded lakes: 62 in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of lakes with orangespotted sunfish is D (Nutrient-rich).

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 have the highest water quality grades 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 62 lakes · 937 total

Common Carp Lakes

Found together in 60 lakes · 506 total

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 60 lakes · 1,631 total

Black Crappie Lakes

Found together in 56 lakes · 1,428 total

White Sucker Lakes

Found together in 54 lakes · 1,256 total

Walleye Lakes

Found together in 53 lakes · 1,982 total

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