Walleye Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 1,237 Minnesota lakes · 702 in Wisconsin · 43 in Michigan

Walleye is one of the headline game-fish species in Minnesota — the kind of catch that anchors fishing trips, cabin weekends, and the regional fishing economy. 1,982 lakes in our dataset have documented Walleye. Walleye is widely distributed: 1,237 lakes in Minnesota, 702 in Wisconsin, and 43 in Michigan. That breadth means anglers across most of the coverage area can find a documented Walleye lake within a reasonable drive.

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 our A–F scale, the cleanest Walleye lakes tend to also be the highest-graded — the same water-clarity and nutrient conditions that support the species also produce the higher grades.

1,237

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

438

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Walleye Lakes Map

Every Minnesota lake with documented walleye, colored by water-quality grade.

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Best Walleye Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Lobster Lake	Douglas	A	13 ft	65 ft
2	East Fox Lake	Crow Wing	A	16.4 ft	65 ft
3	Deep Portage Lake	Cass	A	15.4 ft	105 ft
4	Clearwater Lake	Wright	A	9.8 ft	73 ft
5	Clearwater Lake	Crow Wing	A	13 ft	54 ft
6	Clearwater Lake	Clearwater	A	10 ft	65 ft
7	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	A	18.5 ft	100 ft
8	Latoka Lake	Douglas	A	19 ft	108 ft
9	Little Birch Lake	Todd	A	13 ft	89 ft
10	North Long Lake	Crow Wing	A	15.1 ft	97 ft
11	Bad Medicine Lake	Becker	A	25 ft	84 ft
12	Mud Lake	Becker	A	12.5 ft	34 ft
13	Big Lake	Beltrami	A	9.7 ft	35 ft
14	Big Lake	Sherburne	A	13.6 ft	48 ft
15	Big Lake	St. Louis	A	8.2 ft	22 ft
16	Big Sugar Bush Lake	Becker	A	16.5 ft	42 ft
17	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.4 ft	55 ft
18	Pelican Lake	Crow Wing	A	14.3 ft	104 ft
19	Birch Lake	Cass	A	14 ft	45 ft
20	Round Lake	Aitkin	A	14.5 ft	125 ft
21	Round Lake	Crow Wing	A	13.5 ft	51 ft
22	Round Lake	Cook	A	16.5 ft	45 ft
23	Round Lake	Becker	A	10 ft	69 ft
24	Ada Lake	Cass	A	14 ft	60 ft
25	Pike Lake	Cook	A	17.4 ft	45 ft
26	Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	A	14.4 ft	138 ft
27	Whitefish Lake	Beltrami	A	12.5 ft	30 ft
28	Horseshoe Lake	Crow Wing	A	14.4 ft	56 ft
29	Farm Lake	Lake	A	5.5 ft	56 ft
30	Washburn Lake	Cass	A	14.1 ft	111 ft
31	Long Lake	Kandiyohi	A	10.5 ft	46 ft
32	Long Lake	Clearwater	A	20.5 ft	80 ft
33	Long Lake	Cass	A	21.5 ft	115 ft
34	Long Lake	Beltrami	A	20 ft	87 ft
35	Long Lake	Otter Tail	A	12.3 ft	128 ft
36	Long Lake	Becker	A	19.5 ft	61 ft
37	Long Lake	Hubbard	A	11.2 ft	135 ft
38	Long Lake	Otter Tail	A	11.6 ft	73 ft
39	Long Lake	Itasca	A	16.9 ft	85 ft
40	Dead Lake	Hubbard	A	16 ft	34 ft
41	Dead Lake	Otter Tail	A	10.2 ft	65 ft
42	Unnamed Lake	Nicollet	A	5.6 ft	35 ft
43	Maple Lake	Douglas	A	14.1 ft	78 ft
44	Maple Lake	Itasca	A	15.3 ft	39 ft
45	West Twin Lake	Cook	A	9.8 ft	37 ft
46	Shallow Lake	Itasca	A	16.4 ft	85 ft
47	Shallow Lake	Hubbard	A	8.2 ft	10 ft
48	Trout Lake	Itasca	A	18 ft	157 ft
49	Detroit Lake	Becker	A	14 ft	89 ft
50	South Sturgeon Lake	St. Louis	A	2.5 ft	43 ft

Showing top 50 of 1,237 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have walleye?

Walleye are found in 1,237 lakes in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is B (Good).

What are the best walleye lakes in Minnesota?

The best walleye lakes in Minnesota by water quality are Lobster Lake, East Fox Lake, Deep Portage Lake, Clearwater Lake, Clearwater Lake.

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