Best Lakes for Fishing Near Minneapolis
Minnesota
30 fishing lakes within driving distance of Minneapolis, 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 Minneapolis 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 A.
Filtered for fishing, the nearby-lake list narrows further. fishing-specific signals — fish species, public access, depth profile, motor-boat congestion — interact with the LakeGrade rubric in different ways depending on the use case.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Holland Lake | Dakota | A | 14.4 mi | 27.9 ft | 55 ft |
| 2 | Big Carnelian Lake | Washington | A | 24.8 mi | 15 ft | 66 ft |
| 3 | Square Lake | Washington | A | 25.6 mi | 17 ft | 68 ft |
| 4 | Charlotte Lake | Wright | A | 26.3 mi | 17.1 ft | 46 ft |
| 5 | Big Lake | Sherburne | A | 34.5 mi | 17.5 ft | 48 ft |
| 6 | Birch Lake | Wright | A | 37.2 mi | 15 ft | 52 ft |
| 7 | Upper Maple Lake | Wright | A | 38.3 mi | 17.2 ft | 76 ft |
| 8 | Lower Pine Lake | Polk | A | 38.7 mi | 21 ft | 102 ft |
| 9 | Sugar Lake | Wright | A | 44.3 mi | 16.5 ft | 69 ft |
| 10 | Deer Lake | Polk | A | 46.5 mi | 16 ft | 46 ft |
| 11 | South Twin Lake | Polk | A | 49.2 mi | - | 9 ft |
| 12 | West Sylvia Lake | Wright | A | 49.6 mi | 22 ft | 97 ft |
| 13 | North Twin Lake | Polk | A | 49.6 mi | - | 27 ft |
| 14 | Pike Lake | Polk | A | 49.9 mi | - | 33 ft |
| 15 | Bush Lake | Hennepin | A | 11.3 mi | 13 ft | 28 ft |
| 16 | Jane Lake | Washington | A | 16.8 mi | 13 ft | 39 ft |
| 17 | Lac Lavon Lake | Dakota | A | 17.8 mi | 12.1 ft | 32 ft |
| 18 | Minnewashta Lake | Carver | A | 17.9 mi | 11.5 ft | 70 ft |
| 19 | Elmo Lake | Washington | A | 18.6 mi | 11.1 ft | 140 ft |
| 20 | Big Carnelian Lake | Washington | A | 24.7 mi | 14.5 ft | 66 ft |
| 21 | White Bear Lake | Washington | A | 15.3 mi | 14.4 ft | 83 ft |
| 22 | Little Long Lake | Hennepin | A | 21.7 mi | 18.7 ft | 45 ft |
| 23 | Piersons Lake | Carver | A | 23.5 mi | 9.9 ft | 40 ft |
| 24 | East Twin Lake | Anoka | A | 27.3 mi | 10.7 ft | 68 ft |
| 25 | Big Lake | Sherburne | A | 34.6 mi | 13.6 ft | 48 ft |
| 26 | Ann Lake | Sherburne | A | 37.2 mi | 11.5 ft | 26 ft |
| 27 | Sandy Lake | Sherburne | A | 37.3 mi | 14 ft | 41 ft |
| 28 | Ida Lake | Wright | A | 38.5 mi | 13.1 ft | 60 ft |
| 29 | Pine Lake | Polk | A | 39.2 mi | 13 ft | 34 ft |
| 30 | Church Pine Lake | Polk | A | 41.2 mi | 13 ft | 45 ft |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.