Sunfish Lakes in Minnesota, 35 Lakes

Rough fish like Sunfish are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 35 Minnesota lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. 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 phosphorus and chlorophyll-a readings on: a rough-fish-heavy fishery often reflects an underlying nutrient-loading problem in the watershed. Cross-reference the Sunfish lake list below against each lake's clarity, phosphorus and algae readings: lakes with low nutrient readings and Sunfish documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Minnesota Lakes

Counties

Sunfish Lakes Map

Every Minnesota lake with documented sunfish.

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Best Sunfish Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Clarity	Depth
1	Mud Lake	Becker	12.5 ft	34 ft
2	Washburn Lake	Cass	14.1 ft	111 ft
3	Maple Lake	Itasca	15.3 ft	39 ft
4	Gull Lake	Cass	15 ft	80 ft
5	Floyd Lake	Becker	13.1 ft	34 ft
6	Plantagenet Lake	Hubbard	7 ft	65 ft
7	Minnewaska Lake	Pope	11 ft	32 ft
8	Bad Axe Lake	Hubbard	15.1 ft	39 ft
9	Carlos Lake	Douglas	18 ft	163 ft
10	Lower Cullen Lake	Crow Wing	17.4 ft	39 ft
11	Tamarac Lake	Becker	6.9 ft	34 ft
12	Isabella Lake	Lake	4.4 ft	19 ft
13	Mead Lake	Itasca	10.7 ft	18 ft
14	Lasalle Lake	Hubbard	6.9 ft	213 ft
15	Sunrise Lake	Chisago	8.4 ft	21 ft
16	Green Water Lake	Becker	12.1 ft	57 ft
17	Silver Island Lake	Lake	4.4 ft	16 ft
18	Reno Lake	Pope	7.5 ft	23 ft
19	Greenwood Lake	Lake	2.1 ft	7 ft
20	Lake Winnibigoshish	Cass	12.1 ft	69.8 ft
21	Tamarack Bay Lake	Cass	11.5 ft	69.8 ft
22	Third River Flowage Lake	Itasca	6.9 ft	69.8 ft
23	Perch Lake	Lincoln	9.3 ft	16.2 ft
24	Bald Eagle Lake	Ramsey	5.6 ft	36 ft
25	Marion Lake	McLeod	-	15.2 ft
26	Hunt Lake	Rice	3 ft	27 ft
27	Sand Lake	Pine	10 ft	47 ft
28	Rhine Lake	Pine	2.5 ft	8 ft
29	Del Clark Lake	Yellow Medicine	5 ft	30 ft
30	Silver Lake	Crow Wing	17 ft	23 ft
31	Rock Lake	Crow Wing	7.4 ft	22 ft
32	Pomme de Terre Lake	Grant	4.5 ft	23 ft
33	Eleven Lake	Pine	11 ft	49 ft
34	Hendricks Lake	Lincoln	6.5 ft	9 ft
35	Alvin Lake	Douglas	10.2 ft	163 ft

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have sunfish?

Sunfish are found in 35 lakes in Minnesota.

What are the best sunfish lakes in Minnesota?

The best sunfish lakes in Minnesota by water quality are Mud Lake, Washburn Lake, Maple Lake, Gull Lake, Floyd Lake.

Fish species from state agency survey, stocking, and public fishing-access records; water-quality readings from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys.