white crappie Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 89 Minnesota lakes

Rough fish like white crappie are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 89 Minnesota lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. white crappie is narrowly distributed — only 89 Minnesota lakes and 0 Wisconsin lakes 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 white crappie lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and white crappie documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best white crappie Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Courthouse Lake	Carver	A	20 ft	57 ft
2	Moon Lake	Douglas	A	20 ft	38 ft
3	Lake St. Croix	Washington	B	5.2 ft	78 ft
4	Fish Lake	Hennepin	B	8.7 ft	49 ft
5	Comfort Lake	Chisago	B	7 ft	47 ft
6	Lower Prior Lake	Scott	B	9.5 ft	60 ft
7	Rock Lake	Wright	C	7.5 ft	37 ft
8	Perch Lake	Lincoln	C	9.3 ft	16.2 ft
9	Carrie Lake	Kandiyohi	C	4.5 ft	26 ft
10	Forest Lake	Washington	C	8 ft	37 ft
11	Pierz Lake	Morrison	C	8 ft	34 ft
12	St. Croix Lake	Washington	C	8.7 ft	78 ft
13	St. Croix 1.5 Mi. Upstream of Point Douglas Dr Lake	Washington	C	9.4 ft	78 ft
14	Charley Lake	Ramsey	C	4.6 ft	21 ft
15	Fish Lake	Scott	C	3.9 ft	28 ft
16	Oak Lake	Carver	C	4.5 ft	11 ft
17	Upper Prior Lake	Scott	C	6 ft	50 ft
18	Pool of Lake St. Croix	Washington	C	4.3 ft	78 ft
19	Pool on Lake St. Croix Downstream of I94 Bridge	Washington	C	5 ft	78 ft
20	French Lake	Wright	C	4.3 ft	50 ft
21	Pool on Lake St. Croix	Washington	C	5.9 ft	78 ft
22	St. Croix 3.5 Mi. Downstream of E Chestnut St Lake	Washington	C	5.9 ft	78 ft
23	St. Croix 0.3 Mi. Downstream of I Lake	Washington	C	6.1 ft	78 ft
24	Long Lake	Pine	D	5.7 ft	24 ft
25	Zumbro Lake	Olmsted	D	3.9 ft	43 ft
26	Whaletail Lake	Hennepin	D	3.3 ft	22 ft
27	Barrett Lake	Grant	D	4 ft	28 ft
28	Pickerel Lake	Dakota	D	3.6 ft	11 ft
29	Pomme de Terre Lake	Grant	D	4 ft	23 ft
30	Martin Lake	Anoka	D	2.5 ft	20 ft
31	Reeds Lake	Waseca	D	6 ft	58 ft
32	Evergreen Pnds Lake	Ramsey	D	5.9 ft	18 ft
33	St. Olaf Lake	Waseca	D	5 ft	33 ft
34	Hendricks Lake	Lincoln	D	6.2 ft	9 ft
35	Mazaska Lake	Rice	D	2.5 ft	50 ft
36	Deep Lake	Ramsey	D	3.9 ft	11 ft
37	Buffalo Lake	Wright	D	3 ft	33 ft
38	Lake Jefferson	Le Sueur	D	5 ft	37 ft
39	Rice Lake	Hennepin	D	4.5 ft	11.5 ft
40	Winona Lake	Winona	D	2.6 ft	38 ft
41	Madison Lake	Blue Earth	D	3.6 ft	59 ft
42	Round Lake	Jackson	D	2 ft	9 ft
43	Big Swan Lake	Meeker	D	2.5 ft	32 ft
44	Cedar Lake	Rice	D	2 ft	42 ft
45	Swan Lake	McLeod	D	2.6 ft	10 ft
46	Crosby Lake	Ramsey	D	6.6 ft	19 ft
47	Briggs Lake	Sherburne	D	3 ft	25 ft
48	Julia Lake	Sherburne	D	2 ft	15 ft
49	Upper Lake	Ramsey	D	5.9 ft	19 ft
50	German Lake	Le Sueur	D	3.2 ft	51 ft

Showing top 50 of 89 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have white crappie?

white crappie are found in 89 lakes in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is D (Poor).

What are the best white crappie lakes in Minnesota?

The best white crappie lakes in Minnesota by water quality are Courthouse Lake, Moon Lake, Lake St. Croix, Fish Lake, Comfort Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.