Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best walleye lakes near Bemidji
95 surveyed walleye lakes sit within 25 miles of Bemidji; 54 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.
Cass Lake leads at grade A+, with 10.3 walleye per net in gill nets in its 2025 survey and a 28-inch fish the biggest measured. Blackduck Lake is next at A, 13.5 walleye per net in gill nets in its 2025 survey, 15% of the walleye netted over 20 inches. Plantagenet Lake rounds out the top three at A, a 26-inch fish the biggest measured.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 20" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cass Lake | A+ | 15,958 | 10.3/net in gill nets | 13% | 28" | 1.5 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Blackduck Lake | A | 2,711 | 13.5/net in gill nets | 15% | 27" | 1.6 lb | 2025 |
| 3 | Plantagenet Lake | A | 2,531 | 16.1/net in gill nets | 4% | 26" | 1 lb | 2024 |
| 4 | Clearwater Lake | A− | 999 | 8.1/net in gill nets | 24% | 29" | 1.8 lb | 2025 |
| 5 | Julia Lake | A− | 511 | 8.6/net in gill nets | 40% | 29" | 2.5 lb | 2024 |
| 6 | Bemidji (main lake) | A− | 6,596 | 13.7/net in gill nets | 3% | 24" | 1.1 lb | 2022 |
| 7 | Pike Bay Lake | A− | 4,756 | 3.9/net in gill nets | 28% | 27" | 2.2 lb | 2025 |
| 8 | Garfield Lake | A− | 972 | 7.2/net in gill nets | 23% | 26" | 1.7 lb | 2025 |
| 9 | Grace Lake | A− | 860 | 5.3/net in gill nets | 36% | 28" | 2.1 lb | 2025 |
| 10 | Kabekona Lake | A− | 2,433 | 2.6/net in gill nets | 64% | 29" | 3.5 lb | 2024 |
Also ranked near Bemidji: Northern pike · Muskellunge · 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.