Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best crappie lakes in Freeborn County
6 surveyed crappie lakes sit in Freeborn County; the 4 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.
Fountain Lake leads at grade A, with 37 crappie per net in trap nets in its 2024 survey and a 12-inch fish the biggest measured. Bear Lake is next at A−, 9.2 crappie per net in trap nets in its 2009 survey, 7% of the crappie netted over 10 inches. Albert Lea Lake rounds out the top three at A−, a 8-inch fish the biggest measured.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 10" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fountain Lake | A | 522 | 37/net in trap nets | 15% | 12" | 0.3 lb | 2024 |
| 2 | Bear Lake | A− | 1,033 | 9.2/net in trap nets | 7% | 11" | 0.2 lb | 2009 |
| 3 | Albert Lea Lake | A− | 2,669 | 24.4/net in trap nets | 0% | 8" | 0.1 lb | 2021 |
| 4 | Pickeral Lake | B+ | 588 | 2.8/net in trap nets | 33% | 11" | 0.4 lb | 2013 |
Also ranked in Freeborn County: Northern pike · Yellow perch
All of Minnesota: Best crappie 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.