Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best walleye lakes in Cass County
138 surveyed walleye lakes sit in Cass County; 54 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.
Leech Lake leads at grade A+, with 8.8 walleye per net in gill nets in its 2025 survey and a 31-inch fish the biggest measured. Ten Mile Lake is next at A, 4.8 walleye per net in gill nets in its 2024 survey, 38% of the walleye netted over 20 inches. Woman Lake rounds out the top three at A, a 25-inch fish the biggest measured.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 20" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leech Lake | A+ | 103,444 | 8.8/net in gill nets | 11% | 31" | 1.6 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Ten Mile Lake | A | 5,080 | 4.8/net in gill nets | 38% | 28" | 2.3 lb | 2024 |
| 3 | Woman Lake | A | 5,520 | 14.1/net in gill nets | 8% | 25" | 1 lb | 2025 |
| 4 | Winnibigoshish Lake | A | 56,471 | 5.7/net in gill nets | 5% | 25" | 1.3 lb | 2025 |
| 5 | Gull Lake | A | 10,010 | 5.3/net in gill nets | 8% | 27" | 1.9 lb | 2025 |
| 6 | Portage Lake | A− | 1,539 | 14/net in gill nets | 18% | 25" | 1.7 lb | 2021 |
| 7 | Pine Mountain Lake | A− | 1,617 | 7.2/net in gill nets | 30% | 27" | 1.9 lb | 2025 |
| 8 | Pike Bay Lake | A− | 4,756 | 3.9/net in gill nets | 28% | 27" | 2.2 lb | 2025 |
| 9 | Little Boy Lake | A− | 1,452 | 10.1/net in gill nets | 15% | 25" | 1.6 lb | 2024 |
| 10 | Boy Lake | A− | 3,308 | 5/net in gill nets | 29% | 26" | 1.9 lb | 2025 |
Also ranked in Cass County: Northern pike · Muskellunge · 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.