Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best walleye lakes in Aitkin County
62 surveyed walleye lakes sit in Aitkin County; 31 cleared this site's grade rubric, which reads DNR survey catch rates, size structure and trophy history the same way the live map does for every lake. The top 10 are ranked here.
Round Lake leads at grade B+, with 5.1 walleye per net in gill nets in its 2025 survey and a 27-inch fish the biggest measured. Big Sandy Lake is next at B+, 5.7 walleye per net in gill nets in its 2025 survey, 1% of the walleye netted over 20 inches. Esquagamah Lake rounds out the top three at B+, a 25-inch fish the biggest measured.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 20" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Round Lake | B+ | 737 | 5.1/net in gill nets | 32% | 27" | 2.4 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Big Sandy Lake | B+ | 6,125 | 5.7/net in gill nets | 1% | 28" | 1 lb | 2025 |
| 3 | Esquagamah Lake | B+ | 842 | 6.1/net in gill nets | 25% | 25" | 1.9 lb | 2024 |
| 4 | Hill Lake | B+ | 794 | 3.8/net in gill nets | 37% | 29" | 2.8 lb | 2025 |
| 5 | Minnewawa Lake | B+ | 2,351 | 3.2/net in gill nets | 14% | 26" | 1.5 lb | 2024 |
| 6 | Round Lake | B+ | 634 | 7.2/net in gill nets | 5% | 28" | 1.5 lb | 2025 |
| 7 | Farm Island Lake | B+ | 2,005 | 6.3/net in gill nets | 3% | 24" | 1.1 lb | 2025 |
| 8 | Cedar Lake | B | 1,726 | 1.6/net in gill nets | 55% | 30" | 3.6 lb | 2025 |
| 9 | Waukenabo Lake | B | 668 | 3.6/net in gill nets | 22% | 27" | 2.2 lb | 2025 |
| 10 | Dam Lake | B | 598 | 2.8/net in gill nets | 22% | 29" | 2.2 lb | 2025 |
Also ranked in Aitkin County: Northern pike · Largemouth bass · Smallmouth bass · Crappie · Bluegill · Yellow perch
All of Minnesota: Best walleye lakes in Minnesota
Grades are this site's rubric over Minnesota DNR survey data (catch per unit effort against DNR benchmarks, size structure, trophy history). See any lake's page for the underlying numbers. Survey years vary by lake; the table shows each lake's latest.