Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best crappie lakes in Le Sueur County
The DNR has surveyed crappie in 23 lakes in Le Sueur County. Of those, 18 earn a grade on this site, and the top 10 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.
Washington Lake is first at A. The DNR caught 8.5 crappie per trap net in the 2025 survey, and the biggest was 13 inches. West Jefferson Lake is second at A, with 56.8 crappie per trap net in the 2024 survey, and 6% of its crappie measured over 10 inches. East Jefferson 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 | Washington Lake | A | 1,516 | 8.5/net in trap nets | 14% | 13" | 0.5 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | West Jefferson Lake | A | 439 | 56.8/net in trap nets | 6% | 12" | 0.3 lb | 2024 |
| 3 | East Jefferson Lake | A | 685 | 26.3/net in trap nets | 7% | 14" | 0.9 lb | 2024 |
| 4 | Horseshoe Lake | A− | 417 | 13.3/net in trap nets | 10% | 12" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
| 5 | German Lake | A− | 889 | 6.2/net in trap nets | 10% | 13" | 0.3 lb | 2024 |
| 6 | Volney Lake | A− | 269 | 18.5/net in trap nets | 19% | 11" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 7 | Rays Lake | A− | 169 | 38.4/net in trap nets | 3% | 11" | 0.1 lb | 2021 |
| 8 | Middle Jefferson Lake | A− | 667 | 10.5/net in trap nets | 2% | 12" | 0.2 lb | 2018 |
| 9 | Tetonka Lake | A− | 1,358 | 4.3/net in trap nets | 13% | 11" | 0.3 lb | 2025 |
| 10 | Scotch Lake | B+ | 598 | 7/net in trap nets | 4% | 10" | 0.3 lb | 2023 |
Also ranked in Le Sueur County: Walleye · Northern pike · Largemouth bass · Bluegill · Yellow perch
All of Minnesota: Best crappie lakes in Minnesota
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.