Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best crappie lakes near Brainerd
204 surveyed crappie lakes sit within 25 miles of Brainerd; 87 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.
Sullivan Lake leads at grade A, with 9 crappie per net in trap nets in its 2025 survey and a 14-inch fish the biggest measured. Gull Lake is next at A−, 1.5 crappie per net in trap nets in its 2025 survey, 24% of the crappie netted over 10 inches. Red Sand Lake rounds out the top three at A−, a 11-inch fish the biggest measured.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 10" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sullivan Lake | A | 1,103 | 9/net in trap nets | 24% | 14" | 0.4 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Gull Lake | A− | 10,010 | 1.5/net in trap nets | 24% | 11" | 0.3 lb | 2025 |
| 3 | Red Sand Lake | A− | 521 | 5.6/net in trap nets | 18% | 11" | 0.4 lb | 2017 |
| 4 | Clark Lake | A− | 305 | 6/net in trap nets | 13% | 12" | 0.4 lb | 2021 |
| 5 | Clearwater Lake | B+ | 906 | 2.8/net in trap nets | 15% | 12" | 0.4 lb | 2025 |
| 6 | Gladstone Lake | B+ | 437 | 3.2/net in trap nets | 15% | 13" | 0.4 lb | 2024 |
| 7 | Perry Lake | B+ | 164 | 7.6/net in trap nets | 3% | 13" | 0.3 lb | 2019 |
| 8 | Dolney Lake | B+ | 272 | 5/net in trap nets | 49% | 11" | 0.5 lb | 2017 |
| 9 | Cross Lake Reservoir | B+ | 1,815 | 1.5/net in trap nets | 32% | 12" | 0.5 lb | 2024 |
| 10 | Whitefish Lake | B+ | 7,714 | 0.7/net in trap nets | 30% | 12" | 0.3 lb | 2025 |
Also ranked near Brainerd: Walleye · Northern pike · Muskellunge · Largemouth bass · Smallmouth bass · Bluegill · Yellow perch
All of Minnesota: Best crappie 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.