Sauger Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 34 Minnesota lakes · 3 in Michigan

Sauger is a primary Minnesota sport-fishing target. 3 lakes have an official record of the species — the actual population almost certainly extends further, since not every lake gets a full DNR fishery survey every year. Sauger is narrowly distributed — only 3 lakes in Michigan have a documented record. The constraint is usually habitat: cold water, specific depth profile, or river connection.

Game-fish presence on a Minnesota lake also signals enough water-quality stability to support the prey species the game fish depend on — perch, alewife, ciscoes — which themselves require reasonably oxygenated, clear water. On the LakeGrade rubric, the cleanest Sauger lakes tend to also be the highest-graded — the same water-clarity and nutrient conditions that support the species also produce the higher grades.

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Sauger Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	B	11.5 ft	150 ft
2	Agnes Lake	St. Louis	B	11 ft	30 ft
3	Lake St. Croix	Washington	B	5.2 ft	78 ft
4	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	C	8.2 ft	150 ft
5	Rainy Lake	St. Louis	C	9.5 ft	161 ft
6	Sand Point Lake	St. Louis	C	7.5 ft	184 ft
7	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	C	9.8 ft	150 ft
8	Rainy Lake	St. Louis	C	7.2 ft	161 ft
9	Rainy Lake	Koochiching	C	7.7 ft	161 ft
10	Lac la Croix Lake	St. Louis	C	8 ft	168 ft
11	St. Croix Lake	Washington	C	8.7 ft	78 ft
12	Pool of Lake St. Croix	Washington	C	4.3 ft	78 ft
13	Pool on Lake St. Croix	Washington	C	5.9 ft	78 ft
14	Kabetogama Lake	St. Louis	D	4.4 ft	80 ft
15	Rainy Lake	Koochiching	D	3.6 ft	161 ft
16	Kabetogama Lake	St. Louis	D	3.8 ft	80 ft
17	Rainy Lake	St. Louis	D	5.9 ft	161 ft
18	Kabetogama Lake	St. Louis	D	4.8 ft	80 ft
19	Kabetogama Lake	St. Louis	D	5.9 ft	80 ft
20	Sand Point Lake	St. Louis	D	6.6 ft	184 ft
21	Rainy Lake	Koochiching	D	6.6 ft	161 ft
22	Rainy Lake	Koochiching	D	4.9 ft	161 ft
23	Rainy Lake	Koochiching	D	3.6 ft	161 ft
24	Sand Point Lake	St. Louis	D	5.9 ft	184 ft
25	Rainy Lake	Koochiching	D	5.2 ft	161 ft
26	Crane Lake	St. Louis	D	6.6 ft	80 ft
27	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	D	4.1 ft	150 ft
28	Kabetogama Lake	St. Louis	D	5.9 ft	80 ft
29	Crane Lake	St. Louis	D	6 ft	80 ft
30	Iron Lake	St. Louis	D	5 ft	64 ft
31	Kabetogama Lake	St. Louis	F	2.6 ft	80 ft
32	Pepin Lake	Pepin	F	3 ft	60 ft
33	Spring Lake	Dakota	F	2.1 ft	17 ft
34	Lac la Croix Lake	St. Louis	F	2.5 ft	30 ft

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have sauger?

Sauger are found in 34 lakes in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is D (Poor).

What are the best sauger lakes in Minnesota?

The best sauger lakes in Minnesota by water quality are Namakan Lake, Agnes Lake, Lake St. Croix, Namakan Lake, Rainy Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.