sunfish Lakes in Minnesota, Wisconsin & Michigan

Other SpeciesFound in 35 lakes

sunfish is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 35 lakes carry documentation. sunfish is narrowly distributed — only 35 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 sunfish lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and sunfish documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

Minnesota lakes →

Avg. Grade

49 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of sunfish Lakes

31%

34%

17%

11%

Best sunfish Lakes by Water Quality

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

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Gull Lake	Cass	MN	A	80 ft	22
2	Maple Lake	Itasca	MN	A	39 ft	13
3	Silver Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	23 ft	6
4	Bad Axe Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	39 ft	13
5	Carlos Lake	Douglas	MN	A	163 ft	21
6	Lower Cullen Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	39 ft	16
7	Washburn Lake	Cass	MN	A	111 ft	21
8	Floyd Lake	Becker	MN	A	34 ft	16
9	Mead Lake	Itasca	MN	A	18 ft	7
10	Tamarack Bay Lake	Cass	MN	A	69.8 ft	20
11	Green Water Lake	Becker	MN	A	57 ft	9
12	Sunrise Lake	Chisago	MN	B	21 ft	10
13	Mud Lake	Becker	MN	B	34 ft	16
14	Sand Lake	Pine	MN	B	47 ft	15
15	Rock Lake	Crow Wing	MN	B	22 ft	17
16	Minnewaska Lake	Pope	MN	B	32 ft	21
17	Eleven Lake	Pine	MN	B	49 ft	9
18	Alvin Lake	Douglas	MN	B	163 ft	21
19	Lasalle Lake	Hubbard	MN	B	213 ft	15
20	Lake Winnibigoshish	Cass	MN	B	69.8 ft	20
21	Plantagenet Lake	Hubbard	MN	B	65 ft	20
22	Tamarac Lake	Becker	MN	B	34 ft	16
23	Third River Flowage Lake	Itasca	MN	B	69.8 ft	20
24	Perch Lake	Lincoln	MN	C	16.2 ft	12
25	Reno Lake	Pope	MN	C	23 ft	18
26	Isabella Lake	Lake	MN	C	19 ft	11
27	Silver Island Lake	Lake	MN	C	16 ft	11
28	Bald Eagle Lake	Ramsey	MN	C	36 ft	13
29	Greenwood Lake	Lake	MN	C	7 ft	7
30	Marion Lake	McLeod	MN	D	15.2 ft	13
31	Del Clark Lake	Yellow Medicine	MN	D	30 ft	14
32	Pomme de Terre Lake	Grant	MN	D	23 ft	22
33	Hendricks Lake	Lincoln	MN	D	9 ft	18
34	Rhine Lake	Pine	MN	F	8 ft	9
35	Hunt Lake	Rice	MN	F	27 ft	18

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have sunfish?

sunfish are found in 35 graded lakes: 35 in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of lakes with sunfish is B (Good).

What are the best lakes for sunfish?

The best sunfish lakes by water quality are Gull Lake, Maple Lake, Silver Lake, Bad Axe Lake, Carlos Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where sunfish have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with sunfish?

sunfish are most commonly found alongside bluegill, yellow perch, northern pike, black crappie, largemouth bass. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in sunfish Lakes

Bluegill Lakes

Found together in 35 lakes · 240 total

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 35 lakes · 113 total

Northern pike Lakes

Found together in 33 lakes · 99 total

Black Crappie Lakes

Found together in 32 lakes · 41 total

Largemouth bass Lakes

Found together in 32 lakes · 172 total

Pumpkinseed Lakes

Found together in 29 lakes · 145 total

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.