Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best walleye lakes in Clearwater County
24 surveyed walleye lakes sit in Clearwater County; the 7 ranked here 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.
Minerva Lake leads at grade B, with 4.3 walleye per net in gill nets in its 2016 survey and a 29-inch fish the biggest measured. Elk Lake is next at B, 4.7 walleye per net in gill nets in its 2025 survey, 33% of the walleye netted over 20 inches. Long Lost Lake rounds out the top three at B, a 29-inch fish the biggest measured.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 20" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minerva Lake | B | 230 | 4.3/net in gill nets | 81% | 29" | 4.1 lb | 2016 |
| 2 | Elk Lake | B | 303 | 4.7/net in gill nets | 33% | 25" | 1.9 lb | 2025 |
| 3 | Long Lost Lake | B | 539 | 2.1/net in gill nets | 81% | 29" | 3.8 lb | 2024 |
| 4 | Itasca Lake | B− | 1,065 | 2.4/net in gill nets | 27% | 24" | 2.5 lb | 2025 |
| 5 | Big LaSalle Lake | B− | 235 | 4.8/net in gill nets | 20% | 22" | 1.7 lb | 2023 |
| 6 | Pine Lake | C+ | 1,236 | 1.3/net in gill nets | 42% | 26" | 2.6 lb | 2023 |
| 7 | Minnow Lake | C+ | 110 | — | 0% | 11" | 0.5 lb | 2024 |
Also ranked in Clearwater County: Northern pike · 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.