Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best walleye lakes in Douglas County
58 surveyed walleye lakes sit in Douglas County; 37 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.
Lake Miltona leads at grade A+, with 10.8 walleye per net in gill nets in its 2023 survey and a 28-inch fish the biggest measured. Lake Mary is next at A, 13.1 walleye per net in gill nets in its 2025 survey, 7% of the walleye netted over 20 inches. Lake Ida 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 | Lake Miltona | A+ | 5,731 | 10.8/net in gill nets | 15% | 28" | 1.6 lb | 2023 |
| 2 | Lake Mary | A | 2,450 | 13.1/net in gill nets | 7% | 29" | 1.5 lb | 2025 |
| 3 | Lake Ida | A | 4,445 | 7.3/net in gill nets | 21% | 27" | 2.1 lb | 2023 |
| 4 | Lake Andrew | A | 923 | 11.4/net in gill nets | 7% | 30" | 1.5 lb | 2024 |
| 5 | Chippewa Lake | A− | 1,186 | 9.2/net in gill nets | 15% | 28" | 1.4 lb | 2025 |
| 6 | Lake Le Homme Dieu | A− | 1,801 | 3.5/net in gill nets | 34% | 28" | 2.2 lb | 2024 |
| 7 | Lake Carlos | B+ | 2,605 | 2.8/net in gill nets | 37% | 27" | 2.5 lb | 2024 |
| 8 | Red Rock Lake | B+ | 904 | 7.7/net in gill nets | 14% | 23" | 1.4 lb | 2025 |
| 9 | Lake Geneva | B+ | 640 | 4.3/net in gill nets | 60% | 27" | 3.5 lb | 2024 |
| 10 | Turtle Lake | B+ | 218 | 10.7/net in gill nets | 11% | 26" | 1.4 lb | 2021 |
Also ranked in Douglas County: Northern pike · 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.