Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best crappie lakes in Minnesota
The DNR has surveyed crappie in 2,463 Minnesota lakes. Of those, 1,407 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.
Lake of the Woods is first at A+. The DNR caught 3.2 crappie per trap net in the 2025 survey, and the biggest was 15 inches. Rainy Lake is second at A+, with 8.5 crappie per trap net in the 2025 survey, and 9% of its crappie measured over 10 inches. Long Lake is third at A+, and its biggest crappie was 14 inches.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 10" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake of the Woods | A+ | 725,583 | 3.2/net in trap nets | 11% | 15" | 0.6 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Rainy Lake | A+ | 210,200 | 8.5/net in trap nets | 9% | 14" | 0.7 lb | 2025 |
| 3 | Long Lake | A+ | 620 | 80.2/net in trap nets | 7% | 14" | 0.1 lb | 2023 |
| 4 | Lura Lake | A+ | 1,359 | 33.7/net in trap nets | 5% | 14" | 0.1 lb | 2023 |
| 5 | Vermilion Lake | A+ | 39,272 | 5/net in trap nets | 31% | 14" | 0.5 lb | 2025 |
| 6 | Round Lake | A+ | 930 | 27.2/net in trap nets | 8% | 14" | 0.6 lb | 2025 |
| 7 | Duck Lake | A+ | 290 | 26.2/net in trap nets | 10% | 17" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 8 | North Turtle Lake | A+ | 1,773 | 39.6/net in trap nets | 18% | 13" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 9 | Crystal Lake | A+ | 379 | 15.7/net in trap nets | 12% | 15" | 0.9 lb | 2023 |
| 10 | Hanska Lake | A+ | 1,795 | 22.5/net in trap nets | 26% | 13" | 0.3 lb | 2025 |
| 11 | Clear Lake | A+ | 252 | 122.1/net in trap nets | 7% | 13" | — | 2025 |
| 12 | Bright Lake | A+ | 639 | 13/net in trap nets | 51% | 14" | 0.6 lb | 2025 |
| 13 | Sullivan Lake | A | 1,103 | 9/net in trap nets | 24% | 14" | 0.4 lb | 2025 |
| 14 | East Graham Lake | A | 511 | 26.2/net in trap nets | 17% | 13" | 0.9 lb | 2025 |
| 15 | Moon Lake | A | 139 | 20.6/net in trap nets | 50% | 14" | 0.6 lb | 2023 |
| 16 | Benton Lake | A | 2,700 | 7/net in trap nets | 33% | 13" | 0.4 lb | 2025 |
| 17 | Diamond Lake | A | 1,610 | 11.5/net in trap nets | 17% | 13" | 0.3 lb | 2025 |
| 18 | Elysian (Main Lake) | A | 2,215 | 5.8/net in trap nets | 11% | 15" | 0.6 lb | 2023 |
| 19 | Swan Lake | A | 352 | 18.5/net in trap nets | 23% | 13" | 0.8 lb | 2025 |
| 20 | Cedar Lake | A | 707 | 19.6/net in trap nets | 30% | 14" | 0.8 lb | 2022 |
| 21 | Lake Osakis | A | 6,389 | 2.4/net in trap nets | 34% | 14" | 0.4 lb | 2025 |
| 22 | Red Rock Lake | A | 904 | 6.3/net in trap nets | 39% | 14" | 0.4 lb | 2025 |
| 23 | Washington Lake | A | 1,516 | 8.5/net in trap nets | 14% | 13" | 0.5 lb | 2025 |
| 24 | Shetek Lake | A | 3,462 | 5.1/net in trap nets | 15% | 13" | 0.4 lb | 2025 |
| 25 | North Tamarack Lake | A | 1,442 | 4.3/net in trap nets | 47% | 15" | 0.6 lb | 2023 |
Also ranked statewide: Walleye · Northern pike · Muskellunge · Largemouth bass · Smallmouth bass · Bluegill · Yellow perch
Crappie by county: Aitkin · Anoka · Becker · Beltrami · Big Stone · Blue Earth · Carlton · Carver · Cass · Chisago · Clearwater · Cook · Cottonwood · Crow Wing · Dakota · Douglas · Freeborn · Grant · Hennepin · Hubbard · Isanti · Itasca · Jackson · Kanabec · Kandiyohi · Lake · Le Sueur · Lyon · Mahnomen · Martin · McLeod · Meeker · Morrison · Murray · Nobles · Otter Tail · Pine · Polk · Pope · Ramsey · Rice · Scott · Sherburne · St. Louis · Stearns · Stevens · Todd · Washington · Wright
Crappie 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.