Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best northern pike lakes in Martin County
The DNR has surveyed northern pike in 19 lakes in Martin County. The 7 ranked below are the ones that earn a grade on this site. 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 17 northern pike per gill net in the 2025 survey, and the biggest was 34 inches. Cedar Lake is second at B, with 7 northern pike per gill net in the 2022 survey, and 3% of its northern pike measured over 30 inches. Sisseton Lake is third at B, and its biggest northern pike was 37 inches.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 30" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bright Lake | A− | 639 | 17/net in gill nets | 3% | 34" | 1.7 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Cedar Lake | B | 707 | 7/net in gill nets | 3% | 31" | 2.9 lb | 2022 |
| 3 | Sisseton Lake | B | 138 | — | 20% | 37" | 6.6 lb | 2023 |
| 4 | Perch Lake | C+ | 174 | — | 6% | 31" | 3.5 lb | 2014 |
| 5 | East Chain Lake | C+ | 481 | — | 0% | 28" | 3.5 lb | 2025 |
| 6 | South Silver Lake | C+ | 252 | — | 0% | 28" | 4.2 lb | 2022 |
| 7 | Imogene Lake | C+ | 186 | — | 0% | 27" | 4.4 lb | 2021 |
Also ranked in Martin County: Walleye · Largemouth bass · Crappie · Yellow perch
All of Minnesota: Best northern pike 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.