Best Walleye Lakes: Top 50 by Water Quality

Rank	Lake	County	State	Clarity	Depth
1	Lobster Lake	Douglas	MN	13 ft	65 ft
2	East Fox Lake	Crow Wing	MN	16.4 ft	65 ft
3	Deep Portage Lake	Cass	MN	15.4 ft	105 ft
4	Clearwater Lake	Wright	MN	9.8 ft	73 ft
5	Clearwater Lake	Crow Wing	MN	13 ft	54 ft
6	Clearwater Lake	Clearwater	MN	10 ft	65 ft
7	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	MN	18.5 ft	100 ft
8	Latoka Lake	Douglas	MN	19 ft	108 ft
9	Little Birch Lake	Todd	MN	13 ft	89 ft
10	North Long Lake	Crow Wing	MN	15.1 ft	97 ft
11	Bad Medicine Lake	Becker	MN	25 ft	84 ft
12	Mud Lake	Becker	MN	12.5 ft	34 ft
13	Big Lake	Beltrami	MN	9.7 ft	35 ft
14	Big Lake	Sherburne	MN	13.6 ft	48 ft
15	Big Lake	St. Louis	MN	8.2 ft	22 ft
16	Big Sugar Bush Lake	Becker	MN	16.5 ft	42 ft
17	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	MN	16.4 ft	55 ft
18	Pelican Lake	Crow Wing	MN	14.3 ft	104 ft
19	Birch Lake	Cass	MN	14 ft	45 ft
20	Round Lake	Aitkin	MN	14.5 ft	125 ft
21	Round Lake	Crow Wing	MN	13.5 ft	51 ft
22	Round Lake	Cook	MN	16.5 ft	45 ft
23	Round Lake	Becker	MN	10 ft	69 ft
24	Ada Lake	Cass	MN	14 ft	60 ft
25	Pike Lake	Cook	MN	17.4 ft	45 ft
26	Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	MN	14.4 ft	138 ft
27	Whitefish Lake	Beltrami	MN	12.5 ft	30 ft
28	Horseshoe Lake	Crow Wing	MN	14.4 ft	56 ft
29	Farm Lake	Lake	MN	5.5 ft	56 ft
30	Washburn Lake	Cass	MN	14.1 ft	111 ft
31	Long Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	10.5 ft	46 ft
32	Long Lake	Clearwater	MN	20.5 ft	80 ft
33	Long Lake	Cass	MN	21.5 ft	115 ft
34	Long Lake	Beltrami	MN	20 ft	87 ft
35	Long Lake	Otter Tail	MN	12.3 ft	128 ft
36	Long Lake	Becker	MN	19.5 ft	61 ft
37	Long Lake	Hubbard	MN	11.2 ft	135 ft
38	Long Lake	Otter Tail	MN	11.6 ft	73 ft
39	Long Lake	Itasca	MN	16.9 ft	85 ft
40	Dead Lake	Hubbard	MN	16 ft	34 ft
41	Dead Lake	Otter Tail	MN	10.2 ft	65 ft
42	Unnamed Lake	Nicollet	MN	5.6 ft	35 ft
43	Maple Lake	Douglas	MN	14.1 ft	78 ft
44	Maple Lake	Itasca	MN	15.3 ft	39 ft
45	West Twin Lake	Cook	MN	9.8 ft	37 ft
46	Shallow Lake	Itasca	MN	16.4 ft	85 ft
47	Shallow Lake	Hubbard	MN	8.2 ft	10 ft
48	Trout Lake	Itasca	MN	18 ft	157 ft
49	Detroit Lake	Becker	MN	14 ft	89 ft
50	South Sturgeon Lake	St. Louis	MN	2.5 ft	43 ft

Why Water Quality Matters for Walleye

Walleye prefer lakes with moderate water clarity, clear enough for adequate dissolved oxygen but not so clear that they lose their low-light hunting advantage. Walleye are sensitive to high phosphorus and algae levels, which deplete oxygen in deeper water where walleye seek cool temperatures in summer.

Lakes with clear, low-nutrient readings tend to maintain the oxygen levels and water temperatures that walleye need year-round. Lakes with high phosphorus and heavy algae often experience summer oxygen depletion in deeper water, stressing or killing walleye. For the official marks those waters produced, see state record fish — including the Minnesota walleye record and the Wisconsin list.

Cleanest Lakes →Clearest Water →Improving →Declining →

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