Best Lakes for Fishing Near Duluth
Minnesota
30 fishing lakes within driving distance of Duluth, 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.
Within reasonable driving distance of Duluth sit 30 graded lakes — a lake-dense area that gives residents real choice on any given weekend. The average grade across the nearby set is B.
The fishing-specific ranking layered on top of the letter grade is what produces the list below: a grade-good lake that does not also support the fishing use case is less useful than a grade-decent lake that does.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Lake | Carlton | A | 25.7 mi | 10 ft | 25 ft |
| 2 | Park Lake | Carlton | A | 28.5 mi | 7 ft | 16 ft |
| 3 | Nichols Lake | St. Louis | A | 29.7 mi | 5.1 ft | 31 ft |
| 4 | Stewart Lake | Lake | A | 32.2 mi | 10 ft | 20 ft |
| 5 | Murphy Lake | St. Louis | A | 40 mi | 6.4 ft | 24 ft |
| 6 | Cadotte Lake | St. Louis | A | 41.9 mi | 10.2 ft | 18 ft |
| 7 | Pleasant Lake | St. Louis | A | 45.7 mi | 10 ft | 33 ft |
| 8 | Pine Lake | St. Louis | A | 48.7 mi | 7.5 ft | 14 ft |
| 9 | Ely Lake | St. Louis | A | 49.2 mi | 17.1 ft | 70 ft |
| 10 | Amnicon Lake | Douglas | B | 21.2 mi | 5 ft | 31 ft |
| 11 | West Twin Lake | St. Louis | B | 23.2 mi | 6.2 ft | 18 ft |
| 12 | Lake Nebagamon | Douglas | B | 27 mi | 7 ft | 56 ft |
| 13 | Lake Minnesuing | Douglas | B | 27.5 mi | 6.2 ft | 43 ft |
| 14 | Half Moon Lake | Bayfield | B | 36.9 mi | 8 ft | 10 ft |
| 15 | Long Lake | Bayfield | B | 38.5 mi | 16.2 ft | 28 ft |
| 16 | Elliot Lake | St. Louis | B | 39.7 mi | 6.2 ft | 13 ft |
| 17 | Sand Bar Lake | Bayfield | B | 39.7 mi | 19 ft | 49 ft |
| 18 | Tomahawk Lake | Bayfield | B | 40.1 mi | 14 ft | 42 ft |
| 19 | Eagle Lake | Carlton | B | 40.3 mi | 7 ft | 35 ft |
| 20 | Eagle Lake | Bayfield | B | 40.4 mi | 17 ft | 52 ft |
| 21 | Whitefish Lake | Douglas | B | 41.1 mi | 25 ft | 102 ft |
| 22 | Leader Lake | Douglas | B | 42.6 mi | 15.3 ft | 56 ft |
| 23 | Robinson Lake | Bayfield | B | 42.9 mi | 13.5 ft | 36 ft |
| 24 | Middle Eau Claire Lake | Bayfield | B | 43.5 mi | 18.2 ft | 66 ft |
| 25 | Lower Eau Claire Lake | Bayfield | B | 43.7 mi | 14.1 ft | 41 ft |
| 26 | Upper Eau Claire Lake | Bayfield | B | 44.4 mi | 18.7 ft | 92 ft |
| 27 | Cranberry Lake | Bayfield | B | 44.7 mi | 9 ft | 12 ft |
| 28 | Red Lake | Douglas | B | 45 mi | 12 ft | 37 ft |
| 29 | Upper Kimball Lake | Washburn | B | 45.4 mi | 10 ft | 11 ft |
| 30 | Middle Kimball Lake | Washburn | B | 46 mi | 16 ft | 77 ft |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.