Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best bluegill lakes near Brainerd
214 surveyed bluegill lakes sit within 25 miles of Brainerd; 114 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.
Whitefish Lake leads at grade A, with 26.2 bluegill per net in trap nets in its 2025 survey and a 9-inch fish the biggest measured. Sullivan Lake is next at A−, 17.8 bluegill per net in trap nets in its 2025 survey, 14% of the bluegill netted over 8 inches. Gladstone Lake rounds out the top three at A−, a 9-inch fish the biggest measured.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 8" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whitefish Lake | A | 7,714 | 26.2/net in trap nets | 2% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Sullivan Lake | A− | 1,103 | 17.8/net in trap nets | 14% | 10" | 0.3 lb | 2025 |
| 3 | Gladstone Lake | A− | 437 | 38.1/net in trap nets | 16% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2024 |
| 4 | Gull Lake | A− | 10,010 | 28.7/net in trap nets | 1% | 8" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 5 | Round Lake | A− | 1,650 | 39.4/net in trap nets | 3% | 8" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 6 | Lower Mission Lake | A− | 732 | 25.3/net in trap nets | 19% | 9" | 0.2 lb | 2022 |
| 7 | South Long Lake | A− | 1,309 | 28.6/net in trap nets | 2% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 8 | Loon Lake | A− | 232 | 69.7/net in trap nets | 6% | 8" | 0.1 lb | 2017 |
| 9 | North Long Lake | B+ | 6,190 | 8.9/net in trap nets | 4% | 9" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 10 | Upper Mission Lake | B+ | 882 | 31.6/net in trap nets | 4% | 8" | 0.1 lb | 2022 |
Also ranked near Brainerd: Walleye · Northern pike · Muskellunge · Largemouth bass · Smallmouth bass · Crappie · Yellow perch
All of Minnesota: Best bluegill 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.