Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best crappie lakes in Martin County
The DNR has surveyed crappie in 19 lakes in Martin County. Of those, 15 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.
Bright Lake is first at A+. The DNR caught 13 crappie per trap net in the 2025 survey, and the biggest was 14 inches. Cedar Lake is second at A, with 19.6 crappie per trap net in the 2022 survey, and 30% of its crappie measured over 10 inches. East Chain Lake is third at A−, and its biggest crappie was 15 inches.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 10" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bright Lake | A+ | 639 | 13/net in trap nets | 51% | 14" | 0.6 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Cedar Lake | A | 707 | 19.6/net in trap nets | 30% | 14" | 0.8 lb | 2022 |
| 3 | East Chain Lake | A− | 481 | 6.9/net in trap nets | 27% | 15" | 0.6 lb | 2025 |
| 4 | Willmert (main bay) Lake | A− | 335 | 25.7/net in trap nets | 7% | 11" | 0.3 lb | 2019 |
| 5 | Imogene Lake | A− | 186 | 10.2/net in trap nets | 38% | 12" | 0.5 lb | 2021 |
| 6 | Amber Lake | A− | 182 | 9.9/net in trap nets | 22% | 12" | 0.5 lb | 2022 |
| 7 | Iowa Lake | A− | 705 | 16.3/net in trap nets | 3% | 11" | 0.2 lb | 2023 |
| 8 | Fox Lake | A− | 951 | 18/net in trap nets | 1% | 12" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 9 | Sisseton Lake | A− | 138 | 16.4/net in trap nets | 13% | 11" | 0.3 lb | 2023 |
| 10 | South Silver Lake | A− | 252 | 16.9/net in trap nets | 2% | 10" | 0.3 lb | 2022 |
Also ranked in Martin County: Walleye · Northern pike · Largemouth bass · 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.