Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best walleye lakes in Beltrami County
56 surveyed walleye lakes sit in Beltrami County; 33 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.
Red (Upper Red) Lake leads at grade A+, with 45.1 walleye per net in gill nets in its 2025 survey and a 29-inch fish the biggest measured. Cass Lake is next at A+, 10.3 walleye per net in gill nets in its 2025 survey, 13% of the walleye netted over 20 inches. Blackduck Lake rounds out the top three at A, a 27-inch fish the biggest measured.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 20" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red (Upper Red) Lake | A+ | 119,294 | 45.1/net in gill nets | 0% | 29" | 1 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Cass Lake | A+ | 15,958 | 10.3/net in gill nets | 13% | 28" | 1.5 lb | 2025 |
| 3 | Blackduck Lake | A | 2,711 | 13.5/net in gill nets | 15% | 27" | 1.6 lb | 2025 |
| 4 | Clearwater Lake | A− | 999 | 8.1/net in gill nets | 24% | 29" | 1.8 lb | 2025 |
| 5 | Julia Lake | A− | 511 | 8.6/net in gill nets | 40% | 29" | 2.5 lb | 2024 |
| 6 | Bemidji (main lake) | A− | 6,596 | 13.7/net in gill nets | 3% | 24" | 1.1 lb | 2022 |
| 7 | Gull Lake | A− | 2,256 | 4.5/net in gill nets | 23% | 26" | 1.6 lb | 2021 |
| 8 | Turtle River Lake | B+ | 1,740 | 4.3/net in gill nets | 19% | 26" | 1.7 lb | 2023 |
| 9 | Moose Lake | B+ | 601 | 5.9/net in gill nets | 40% | 26" | 2.1 lb | 2021 |
| 10 | Big Lake | B+ | 3,598 | 3.9/net in gill nets | 9% | 23" | 1.7 lb | 2025 |
Also ranked in Beltrami County: Northern pike · Muskellunge · Largemouth 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.