Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best bluegill lakes in Minnesota
The DNR has surveyed bluegill in 2,669 Minnesota lakes. Of those, 1,430 earn a grade on this site, and the top 25 are ranked below. Grades come from survey catch rates, fish size and trophy history, scored the same way for every lake on the live map.
Pokegama Lake is first at A+. The DNR caught 23.5 bluegill per trap net in the 2024 survey, and the biggest was 10 inches. High Lake is second at A, with 108.8 bluegill per trap net in the 2024 survey, and 8% of its bluegill measured over 8 inches. Lake Miltona is third at A, and its biggest bluegill was 13 inches.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 8" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pokegama Lake | A+ | 6,721 | 23.5/net in trap nets | 24% | 10" | 0.2 lb | 2024 |
| 2 | High Lake | A | 274 | 108.8/net in trap nets | 8% | 10" | — | 2024 |
| 3 | Lake Miltona | A | 5,731 | 29.3/net in trap nets | 2% | 13" | 0.2 lb | 2023 |
| 4 | Little Sugar Bush Lake | A | 221 | 80.2/net in trap nets | 35% | 10" | 0.2 lb | 2023 |
| 5 | Green Lake | A | 5,569 | 52.1/net in trap nets | 1% | 10" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 6 | Tenmile Lake | A | 1,428 | 33/net in trap nets | 12% | 10" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 7 | Lake Minnewaska | A | 8,050 | 57.5/net in trap nets | 14% | 9" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 8 | Nest Lake | A | 969 | 44.4/net in trap nets | 7% | 10" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 9 | Phelps Lake | A | 303 | 282.5/net in trap nets | 6% | 9" | — | 2015 |
| 10 | Dead Lake | A | 7,546 | 33.4/net in trap nets | 16% | 9" | 0.2 lb | 2024 |
| 11 | Vermilion Lake | A | 39,272 | 14.3/net in trap nets | 12% | 9" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 12 | Lake Reno | A | 3,809 | 18.7/net in trap nets | 10% | 10" | 0.2 lb | 2024 |
| 13 | Maple Lake | A | 1,641 | 65.2/net in trap nets | 13% | 9" | 0.2 lb | 2024 |
| 14 | West Battle Lake | A | 5,615 | 44.3/net in trap nets | 4% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 15 | Hovde Lake | A | 133 | 86.1/net in trap nets | 22% | 10" | 0.2 lb | 2017 |
| 16 | Bass Lake | A | 244 | 63.6/net in trap nets | 25% | 10" | 0.3 lb | 2024 |
| 17 | Wall Lake | A | 727 | 77.3/net in trap nets | 9% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 18 | Lake Moses | A | 824 | 30.6/net in trap nets | 30% | 10" | 0.3 lb | 2024 |
| 19 | Waverly Lake | A | 494 | 110.8/net in trap nets | 3% | 9" | 0.2 lb | 2024 |
| 20 | Big Sugar Bush Lake | A | 522 | 57.7/net in trap nets | 29% | 9" | 0.2 lb | 2022 |
| 21 | Pleasant Lake | A | 385 | 272.2/net in trap nets | 1% | 9" | — | 2025 |
| 22 | Star Lake | A | 4,486 | 13.6/net in trap nets | 34% | 10" | 0.3 lb | 2025 |
| 23 | Somers Lake | A | 151 | 86.3/net in trap nets | 6% | 10" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 24 | Lake Aaron | A | 610 | 54.9/net in trap nets | 12% | 9" | 0.2 lb | 2024 |
| 25 | Lake Osakis | A | 6,389 | 17.3/net in trap nets | 9% | 9" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
Also ranked statewide: Walleye · Northern pike · Muskellunge · Largemouth bass · Smallmouth bass · Crappie · Yellow perch
Bluegill by county: Aitkin · Anoka · Becker · Beltrami · Blue Earth · Carlton · Carver · Cass · Chisago · Clearwater · Cook · Crow Wing · Douglas · Grant · Hennepin · Hubbard · Isanti · Itasca · Kanabec · Kandiyohi · Lake · Le Sueur · Mahnomen · McLeod · Meeker · Morrison · Otter Tail · Pine · Polk · Pope · Ramsey · Rice · Scott · Sherburne · St. Louis · Stearns · Todd · Wadena · Waseca · Washington · Wright
Bluegill near a city: Minneapolis · St. Paul · Duluth · St. Cloud · Brainerd · Bemidji · Mankato · Grand Rapids · Alexandria
Grades are based on Minnesota DNR survey data: how many fish the DNR caught (scaled by lake size), how many reached quality size, and the biggest fish measured. Each lake's page has the numbers behind its grade. The table shows each lake's most recent survey year.