Best Musky Lakes: Top Muskellunge Waters (MN, WI & MI)

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Clarity	Depth	Area
1	Deer Lake	Itasca	MN	A	13.1 ft	121 ft	4093.48 ac
2	Round Lake	Sawyer	WI	A	21.1 ft	74 ft	3294 ac
3	Round Lake	Benzie	MI	A	15 ft	-	-
4	Big Sand Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	23 ft	135 ft	1638.65 ac
5	Grindstone Lake	Sawyer	WI	A	17.4 ft	60 ft	3176 ac
6	Round Lake	Shiawassee	MI	D	6 ft	-	-
7	North Star Lake	Itasca	MN	A	19 ft	90 ft	831.62 ac
8	Little Round Lake	Sawyer	WI	A	17.3 ft	38 ft	179 ac
9	Elk Lake	Antrim	MI	NR	14.5 ft	-	-
10	Miltona Lake	Douglas	MN	A	18.7 ft	105 ft	5730.99 ac
11	Osprey Lake	Sawyer	WI	A	16 ft	32 ft	214 ac
12	Clam Lake	Antrim	MI	NR	12.1 ft	-	-
13	Cass Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	18.5 ft	120 ft	15958.25 ac
14	Whitefish Lake	Sawyer	WI	A	13.5 ft	105 ft	800 ac
15	Round Lake	Oakland	MI	NR	10 ft	-	-
16	Pickerel Lake	Becker	MN	A	18 ft	74 ft	360.63 ac
17	Lac Courte Oreilles Lake	Sawyer	WI	A	12.2 ft	90 ft	5139 ac
18	Round Lake	Kent	MI	NR	8 ft	-	-
19	West Battle Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	18 ft	108 ft	5614.95 ac
20	Ashegon Lake	Sawyer	WI	A	10.5 ft	56 ft	75 ac
21	Round Lake	Shiawassee	MI	NR	6.5 ft	-	-
22	Girl Lake	Cass	MN	A	17.6 ft	81 ft	428.18 ac
23	Sand Lake	Sawyer	WI	A	10 ft	50 ft	949 ac
24	Kabekona Bay Lake	Cass	MN	A	17.2 ft	150 ft	103443.8 ac
25	Boot Lake	Oconto	WI	B	21.5 ft	38 ft	230 ac
26	Alexander Lake	Morrison	MN	A	16.5 ft	64 ft	2708.77 ac
27	Hasbrook Lake	Oneida	WI	B	21 ft	50 ft	307 ac
28	Sugar Lake	Wright	MN	A	16.5 ft	69 ft	1014.21 ac
29	Middle Mckenzie Lake	Burnett	WI	B	20 ft	45 ft	527 ac
30	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	16.4 ft	55 ft	3961.78 ac
31	Alva Lake	Oneida	WI	B	19.5 ft	43 ft	199 ac
32	Ida Lake	Douglas	MN	A	16.4 ft	106 ft	4445.29 ac
33	Upper Kaubashine Lake	Oneida	WI	B	19 ft	56 ft	181 ac
34	Lizzie Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	16.4 ft	66 ft	1913.41 ac
35	Upper Eau Claire Lake	Bayfield	WI	B	18.7 ft	92 ft	1024 ac
36	Pokegama Lake	Itasca	MN	A	16.1 ft	112 ft	6721.3 ac
37	Beasley Lake	Waupaca	WI	B	18.4 ft	47 ft	12 ac
38	Andrusia Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	15.1 ft	60 ft	1595.51 ac
39	Middle Eau Claire Lake	Bayfield	WI	B	18.2 ft	66 ft	880 ac
40	Gull Lake	Cass	MN	A	15 ft	80 ft	10009.97 ac
41	Plummer Lake	Vilas	WI	B	18 ft	85 ft	219 ac
42	Dumbbell Lake	Lake	MN	A	14.8 ft	40 ft	406.11 ac
43	Mildred Lake	Oneida	WI	B	18 ft	45 ft	168 ac
44	Louise Lake	Douglas	MN	A	14.5 ft	33 ft	214.46 ac
45	Presque Isle Lake	Vilas	WI	B	18 ft	103 ft	1165 ac
46	White Bear Lake	Washington	MN	A	14.4 ft	83 ft	2427.7 ac
47	Archibald Lake	Oconto	WI	B	17.8 ft	50 ft	392 ac
48	Broadwater Bay Lake	Cass	MN	A	14.4 ft	54 ft	5519.65 ac
49	Clear Lake	Sawyer	WI	B	17.3 ft	32 ft	77 ac
50	Green Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	A	14.1 ft	110 ft	5569.01 ac

Musky Habitat & Water Quality

Muskellunge are the largest member of the pike family and require large, healthy lake ecosystems. They prefer clear to moderately clear lakes (Secchi depth 4-15 feet) with extensive weed beds, rocky structure, and abundant forage fish like perch, suckers, and cisco.

Water quality directly affects musky populations. High phosphorus and algae levels (grades D-F) reduce oxygen in deeper water where muskies retreat during summer heat. Lakes with declining water quality often see musky populations shrink even when stocking continues.

Minnesota and Wisconsin are the top two musky destinations in the country. Wisconsin is considered the musky capital of the world, with extensive stocking programs and strict size limits that have produced world-class trophy fisheries.

Cleanest Lakes →Worst Water Quality →Clearest Water →Improving →Declining →

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