orangespotted sunfish Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 46 Minnesota lakes

orangespotted sunfish is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 46 lakes carry documentation. orangespotted sunfish is narrowly distributed — only 46 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 orangespotted sunfish lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and orangespotted sunfish documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best orangespotted sunfish Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Green Lake	Kandiyohi	A	13.1 ft	110 ft
2	Barrett Lake	Grant	D	4 ft	28 ft
3	Tyson Lake	Yellow Medicine	D	4.5 ft	8 ft
4	Pomme de Terre Lake	Grant	D	4 ft	23 ft
5	Sarah Lake	Murray	D	3.4 ft	10 ft
6	Hendricks Lake	Lincoln	D	6.2 ft	9 ft
7	Buffalo Lake	Wright	D	3 ft	33 ft
8	Cottonwood Lake	Cottonwood	D	3.9 ft	10 ft
9	Little Spirit Lake	Jackson	D	3.3 ft	8 ft
10	Rice Lake	Hennepin	D	4.5 ft	11.5 ft
11	Lower Elk Lake	Grant	D	1.8 ft	13 ft
12	Round Lake	Jackson	D	2 ft	9 ft
13	Long Lake	Kandiyohi	D	3 ft	16 ft
14	East Solomon Lake	Kandiyohi	D	2.6 ft	14 ft
15	Willmar Lake	Kandiyohi	D	2 ft	14 ft
16	Collinwood Lake	Wright	D	3.9 ft	28 ft
17	Big Kandiyohi Lake	Kandiyohi	D	5.2 ft	18 ft
18	Winsted Lake	McLeod	D	3.3 ft	12 ft
19	Willie Lake	Meeker	D	2.1 ft	17 ft
20	Preston Lake	Renville	F	5 ft	11 ft
21	Unnamed Lake	Big Stone	F	2 ft	15 ft
22	Allie Lake	Renville	F	2 ft	12 ft
23	Charlotte Lake	Stevens	F	0.9 ft	20 ft
24	Emily Lake	Pope	F	2 ft	6 ft
25	Rice Lake	Hennepin	F	2 ft	11.5 ft
26	Laura Lake	Redwood	F	2 ft	21 ft
27	Hall Lake	Martin	F	2.6 ft	27 ft
28	Fountain Lake	Freeborn	F	1.5 ft	14 ft
29	Wood Lake	Yellow Medicine	F	3 ft	9 ft
30	Loon Lake	Jackson	F	0.9 ft	8 ft
31	Johnson Lake	Kandiyohi	F	1.6 ft	18 ft
32	Amber Lake	Martin	F	2 ft	19 ft
33	Cottonwood Lake	Lyon	F	1.8 ft	7 ft
34	Stay Lake	Lincoln	F	1 ft	6 ft
35	East Toqua Lake	Big Stone	F	1.6 ft	9 ft
36	Lady Slipper Lake	Lyon	F	1.5 ft	11 ft
37	Okabena Lake	Nobles	F	3.3 ft	16 ft
38	Otrey Lake	Big Stone	F	1 ft	8 ft
39	Split Rock Reservoir	Pipestone	F	1.3 ft	16 ft
40	Ocheda Lake	Nobles	F	1.6 ft	5 ft
41	Little Tuttle Lake	Martin	F	1 ft	7 ft
42	String Lake	Cottonwood	F	0.3 ft	3.8 ft
43	School Grove Lake	Lyon	F	2 ft	11 ft
44	Barry Lake	Big Stone	F	0.8 ft	8.8 ft
45	Elizabeth Lake	Kandiyohi	F	2.6 ft	9 ft
46	Kansas Lake	Watonwan	F	1.6 ft	7 ft

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have orangespotted sunfish?

orangespotted sunfish are found in 46 lakes in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is F (Very Poor).

What are the best orangespotted sunfish lakes in Minnesota?

The best orangespotted sunfish lakes in Minnesota by water quality are Green Lake, Barrett Lake, Tyson Lake, Pomme de Terre Lake, Sarah Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.