DNR survey data · statewide
6 Overlooked Walleye Lakes in Minnesota
Walleye water that fishes above its reputation, picked from 2,281 surveyed Minnesota lakes by DNR catch rate, fish size and trophy record.
By David Berget · Published 2026-08-17
DNR surveys have recorded walleye in 2,281 Minnesota lakes. Here are 6 of them.
Each card says what its lake is good for, because the lakes with the most walleye and the lakes with the biggest walleye are usually different lakes.
Numbers and size. Gill nets averaged 6.7 walleye per net, and 42% of them measured 20 inches or better.
- 832 acres
- 58 ft deep
- biggest 28 in
- surveyed 2025
- stocked 2025
Numbers and size. Gill nets averaged 15.2 walleye per net, and 49% of them measured 20 inches or better.
- 241 acres
- 21 ft deep
- biggest 26 in
- surveyed 2021
- stocked 2025
Big fish. 55% of the walleye measured here were 20 inches or better.
- 246 acres
- 16.2 ft deep
- biggest 28 in
- surveyed 2025
- stocked 2025
- carry-in access only
Big fish. 42% of the walleye measured here were 20 inches or better.
- 1,434 acres
- 52 ft deep
- biggest 30 in
- surveyed 2025
- stocked 2025
Big fish. 43% of the walleye measured here were 20 inches or better.
- 252 acres
- 26 ft deep
- biggest 30 in
- surveyed 2023
- stocked 2025
Numbers and size. Gill nets averaged 7.3 walleye per net, and 30% of them measured 20 inches or better.
- 2,271 acres
- 37 ft deep
- biggest 27 in
- surveyed 2025
- stocked 2025
How these walleye lakes were picked
Walleye are banded on gill nets, set overnight and lifted in the morning, so every catch rate below is a net count rather than an angler report. The DNR's moderate mark for that gear is 4 walleye per net, and no lake here sits under it. Size is judged separately, at 20 inches, because a lake can hold plenty of walleye without holding many of quality size.
Of the 2,281 lakes with walleye on record, 1,271 clear the habitat gate: under 60 feet deep, with at least 50% of the water in the shallow zone where the food is. Anything already ranked among the state's best-known walleye water is set aside, since those lakes are already well covered. These 6 are what is left after keeping only the lakes surveyed since 2016 that cleared the mark above, one entry per water body, each with a public boat launch. Full methodology: how the grades work.