Updated Aug 2026
Minnesota Fishing Guide
72 documented fish species across 1,585 Minnesota lakes. Filter the map by species, then find the cleanest-graded water for what you want to catch.
Minnesota Fish Map
Every Minnesota lake with a documented fishery, colored by water-quality grade. Pick a species to see only the lakes that hold it.
Best-Graded Lakes by Species
Top Minnesota game species, ranked by water-quality grade. Nobody else grades the water under the fish.
Northern Pike
All 1428 →- ALobster LakeDouglas
- AEast Fox LakeCrow Wing
- ADeep Portage LakeCass
- AClearwater LakeWright
- AClearwater LakeCrow Wing
- AClearwater LakeClearwater
Largemouth Bass
All 1267 →- ALobster LakeDouglas
- AEast Fox LakeCrow Wing
- ADeep Portage LakeCass
- AClearwater LakeWright
- AClearwater LakeCrow Wing
- AClearwater LakeClearwater
Walleye
All 1201 →- ALobster LakeDouglas
- AEast Fox LakeCrow Wing
- ADeep Portage LakeCass
- AClearwater LakeWright
- AClearwater LakeCrow Wing
- AClearwater LakeClearwater
Fish Species in Minnesota
Every documented species, grouped by type. Each links to the best-graded Minnesota lakes for that fish.
Game Fish
Panfish
Trout, Salmon & Coldwater
Catfish & Bullhead
Other Species
Minnesota Fishing by County
Lakes with a documented fishery, by county.
Where to stay for a Minnesota fishing trip
Top-rated places to stay near Minnesota lakes
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What fish are in Minnesota lakes?
Minnesota lakes have 72 documented fish species across 1,585 lakes. The most common are Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Bluegill, Black Crappie, Largemouth Bass, Walleye.
What are the best fishing lakes in Minnesota?
The best Minnesota fishing lakes pair a documented fishery with a high water-quality grade. Use the species filter on the map, or the best-by-species tables, to find A- and B-graded lakes for your target species.
Where does the Minnesota fish data come from?
Fish species are documented by state agency survey, stocking, and public fishing-access records, shown next to each lake's EPA water-quality grade. A species listed here has been recorded in that lake, which is not a guarantee it is catchable today.
Fish species from state agency survey, stocking, and public fishing-access records; water-quality grades from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys.