orangespotted sunfish Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 62 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. 62 lakes carry documentation. 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 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	14.1 ft	110 ft
2	Sarah Lake	Murray	C	3.9 ft	10 ft
3	Long Lake	Kandiyohi	D	5 ft	16 ft
4	Barrett Lake	Grant	D	4 ft	28 ft
5	Tyson Lake	Yellow Medicine	D	4.5 ft	8 ft
6	Pomme de Terre Lake	Grant	D	4.5 ft	23 ft
7	Hendricks Lake	Lincoln	D	6.5 ft	9 ft
8	Buffalo Lake	Wright	D	3 ft	33 ft
9	Little Spirit Lake	Jackson	D	3.3 ft	8 ft
10	Lower Elk Lake	Grant	D	1.8 ft	13 ft
11	Round Lake	Jackson	D	2 ft	9 ft
12	Clear Lake	Martin	D	1 ft	7 ft
13	East Solomon Lake	Kandiyohi	D	2.6 ft	14 ft
14	Willmar Lake	Kandiyohi	D	2 ft	14 ft
15	Collinwood Lake	Wright	D	4 ft	28 ft
16	Preston Lake	Renville	D	5 ft	11 ft
17	Cottonwood Lake	Cottonwood	D	2.1 ft	10 ft
18	Big Kandiyohi Lake	Kandiyohi	D	5.2 ft	18 ft
19	Willie Lake	Meeker	D	2.1 ft	17 ft
20	Winsted Lake	McLeod	D	3.3 ft	12 ft
21	West Graham Lake	Nobles	D	4.1 ft	8 ft
22	Round Grove Lake	McLeod	D	2.3 ft	7 ft
23	Willmert Lake	Martin	F	3.3 ft	8 ft
24	Allie Lake	Renville	F	3 ft	12 ft
25	Charlotte Lake	Stevens	F	0.9 ft	20 ft
26	Mud Lake	Martin	F	1.6 ft	19 ft
27	Unnamed Lake	Big Stone	F	2 ft	15 ft
28	Emily Lake	Pope	F	2 ft	6 ft
29	Rice Lake	Hennepin	F	2.3 ft	11.5 ft
30	Laura Lake	Redwood	F	2 ft	21 ft
31	Hall Lake	Martin	F	3 ft	27 ft
32	Fountain Lake	Freeborn	F	1.7 ft	14 ft
33	Wood Lake	Yellow Medicine	F	3 ft	9 ft
34	Loon Lake	Jackson	F	0.9 ft	8 ft
35	Johnson Lake	Kandiyohi	F	1.6 ft	18 ft
36	Buffalo Lake	Murray	F	1.1 ft	8.5 ft
37	Amber Lake	Martin	F	2 ft	19 ft
38	Cottonwood Lake	Lyon	F	1.8 ft	7 ft
39	Rice Lake	Hennepin	F	2.3 ft	11.5 ft
40	Stay Lake	Lincoln	F	1 ft	6 ft
41	East Toqua Lake	Big Stone	F	1.6 ft	9 ft
42	Lady Slipper Lake	Lyon	F	1 ft	11 ft
43	Split Rock Reservoir	Pipestone	F	1.3 ft	16 ft
44	School Grove Lake	Lyon	F	1.5 ft	11 ft
45	Barry Lake	Big Stone	F	0.8 ft	8.8 ft
46	Okabena Lake	Nobles	F	3.3 ft	16 ft
47	String Lake	Cottonwood	F	0.3 ft	3.8 ft
48	Ocheda Lake	Nobles	F	1.6 ft	5 ft
49	Little Tuttle Lake	Martin	F	1 ft	7 ft
50	Otrey Lake	Big Stone	F	1 ft	8 ft

Showing top 50 of 62 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have orangespotted sunfish?

orangespotted sunfish are found in 62 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, Sarah Lake, Long Lake, Barrett Lake, Tyson Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.