Best Lakes for Fishing Near St. Paul
Minnesota
30 fishing lakes within driving distance of St. Paul, 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 St. Paul 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.
The fishing-specific ranking layered on top of the LakeGrade rubric 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 | Holland Lake | Dakota | A | 11.7 mi | 27.9 ft | 55 ft |
| 2 | Big Carnelian Lake | Washington | A | 18.6 mi | 15 ft | 66 ft |
| 3 | Square Lake | Washington | A | 19.7 mi | 17 ft | 68 ft |
| 4 | Lower Pine Lake | Polk | A | 32.4 mi | 21 ft | 102 ft |
| 5 | Charlotte Lake | Wright | A | 34.8 mi | 17.1 ft | 46 ft |
| 6 | Deer Lake | Polk | A | 41.5 mi | 16 ft | 46 ft |
| 7 | Big Lake | Sherburne | A | 41.9 mi | 17.5 ft | 48 ft |
| 8 | South Twin Lake | Polk | A | 42.8 mi | - | 9 ft |
| 9 | North Twin Lake | Polk | A | 43.2 mi | - | 27 ft |
| 10 | Pike Lake | Polk | A | 43.6 mi | - | 33 ft |
| 11 | Clear Lake | Polk | A | 44.9 mi | 15.5 ft | 26 ft |
| 12 | Birch Lake | Wright | A | 45.2 mi | 15 ft | 52 ft |
| 13 | Upper Maple Lake | Wright | A | 46.7 mi | 17.2 ft | 76 ft |
| 14 | Half Moon Lake | Polk | A | 49.4 mi | 15.3 ft | 60 ft |
| 15 | Jane Lake | Washington | A | 9.1 mi | 13 ft | 39 ft |
| 16 | Elmo Lake | Washington | A | 10.2 mi | 11.1 ft | 140 ft |
| 17 | Bush Lake | Hennepin | A | 16.4 mi | 13 ft | 28 ft |
| 18 | Lac Lavon Lake | Dakota | A | 17.8 mi | 12.1 ft | 32 ft |
| 19 | Big Carnelian Lake | Washington | A | 18.4 mi | 14.5 ft | 66 ft |
| 20 | Minnewashta Lake | Carver | A | 25.7 mi | 11.5 ft | 70 ft |
| 21 | White Bear Lake | Washington | A | 9.9 mi | 14.4 ft | 83 ft |
| 22 | Little Long Lake | Hennepin | A | 30.1 mi | 18.7 ft | 45 ft |
| 23 | Piersons Lake | Carver | A | 31 mi | 9.9 ft | 40 ft |
| 24 | Pine Lake | Polk | A | 33 mi | 13 ft | 34 ft |
| 25 | East Twin Lake | Anoka | A | 33.1 mi | 10.7 ft | 68 ft |
| 26 | Church Pine Lake | Polk | A | 35.2 mi | 13 ft | 45 ft |
| 27 | Wind Lake | Polk | A | 35.4 mi | 10 ft | - |
| 28 | Big Lake | Sherburne | A | 42 mi | 13.6 ft | 48 ft |
| 29 | Sandy Lake | Sherburne | A | 42.4 mi | 14 ft | 41 ft |
| 30 | Ann Lake | Sherburne | A | 43.8 mi | 11.5 ft | 26 ft |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.