What is the best fishing lake near Brainerd?

Gilbert Lake in Crow Wing County is the top-ranked fishing lake near Brainerd on measured water quality (1.8 miles away).

How many lakes are near Brainerd for fishing?

30 lakes within driving distance of Brainerd match the fishing filters used on this page.

Best Lakes for Fishing Near Brainerd, MN

30 fishing lakes within driving distance of Brainerd, Minnesota, ranked by water quality and fishing-specific filters. Filtered for documented fish species (3+) and public access. Ranked by water quality and species diversity.

Brainerd sits in a lake-rich part of the upper Midwest: 30 measured lakes within reach. Gilbert Lake carries the lowest nutrient and algae readings of the cluster.

Filtered for fishing, the nearby-lake list narrows further. fishing-specific signals, fish species, public access, depth profile, motor-boat congestion, interact with the water-quality readings in different ways depending on the use case.

#	Lake	County	Distance	Clarity	Depth
1	Gilbert Lake	Crow Wing	1.8 mi	14.6 ft	45 ft
2	White Sand Lake	Crow Wing	4.3 mi	13 ft	27 ft
3	Red Sand Lake	Crow Wing	4.4 mi	9 ft	23 ft
4	Middle Whipple Lake	Crow Wing	5.1 mi	10 ft	28.7 ft
5	North Long Lake	Crow Wing	6.7 mi	15.1 ft	97 ft
6	Round Lake	Crow Wing	7.8 mi	13.5 ft	51 ft
7	Dade Lake	Cass	8.1 mi	5.2 ft	-
8	Gladstone Lake	Crow Wing	8.3 mi	10.5 ft	36 ft
9	Hubert Lake	Crow Wing	9.1 mi	17.1 ft	83 ft
10	Gull Lake	Cass	9.2 mi	15 ft	80 ft
11	Clark Lake	Crow Wing	11.1 mi	11 ft	31 ft
12	Edward Lake	Crow Wing	11.2 mi	15.5 ft	75 ft
13	Nisswa Lake	Crow Wing	12.2 mi	11.5 ft	23 ft
14	Ray Lake	Cass	12.8 mi	10.3 ft	27 ft
15	Bass Lake	Crow Wing	13 mi	13 ft	27 ft
16	Lougee Lake	Crow Wing	13.2 mi	16.1 ft	53 ft
17	Pillager Lake	Cass	13.2 mi	15.1 ft	39 ft
18	Upper Gull Lake	Cass	13.4 mi	9.5 ft	54 ft
19	Lower Cullen Lake	Crow Wing	13.4 mi	17.4 ft	39 ft
20	Edna Lake	Crow Wing	13.4 mi	18 ft	63 ft
21	Portage Lake	Crow Wing	13.5 mi	11.5 ft	37 ft
22	Clearwater Lake	Crow Wing	13.8 mi	13 ft	54 ft
23	Little Pelican Lake	Crow Wing	13.8 mi	17.2 ft	34 ft
24	Middle Cullen Lake	Crow Wing	13.8 mi	13.5 ft	48 ft
25	West Twin Lake	Crow Wing	14.3 mi	13.3 ft	42 ft
26	Crooked Lake	Crow Wing	14.4 mi	15 ft	54 ft
27	Pelican Lake	Crow Wing	14.5 mi	14.3 ft	104 ft
28	Upper Mission Lake	Crow Wing	14.5 mi	11 ft	36 ft
29	East Twin Lake	Crow Wing	14.5 mi	15 ft	45 ft
30	Upper Cullen Lake	Crow Wing	14.5 mi	8.7 ft	40 ft

Other activities near Brainerd

Swimming near Brainerd →Kayaking near Brainerd →Boating near Brainerd →All lakes near Brainerd →

Where to stay near Brainerd

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Brainerd — book a place close to the best-rated lakes in the area.

Top-rated places to stay near Brainerd

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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.