Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best crappie lakes near Duluth
The DNR has surveyed crappie in 35 lakes within 25 miles of Duluth. Of those, 13 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.
Island Lake Reservoir is first at A−. The DNR caught 1.1 crappie per trap net in the 2025 survey, and the biggest was 14 inches. West Twin Lake is second at A−, with 25 crappie per trap net in the 2015 survey, and 3% of its crappie measured over 10 inches. Wild Rice Lake is third at A−, and its biggest crappie was 12 inches.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 10" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Island Lake Reservoir | A− | 8,001 | 1.1/net in trap nets | 65% | 14" | 0.7 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | West Twin Lake | A− | 121 | 25/net in trap nets | 3% | 12" | 0.2 lb | 2015 |
| 3 | Wild Rice Lake | A− | 2,372 | 2.5/net in trap nets | 41% | 12" | 0.5 lb | 2024 |
| 4 | Grand Lake | A− | 1,665 | 3.6/net in trap nets | 10% | 12" | 0.4 lb | 2019 |
| 5 | Fish Lake Flowage | A− | 3,259 | 3.1/net in trap nets | 30% | 11" | 0.4 lb | 2025 |
| 6 | Chub Lake | B+ | 313 | 8.7/net in trap nets | 5% | 11" | 0.2 lb | 2020 |
| 7 | Little Grand Lake | B+ | 176 | 4/net in trap nets | 36% | 11" | 0.4 lb | 2008 |
| 8 | Boulder Lake | B | 3,260 | 0.6/net in trap nets | 54% | 13" | 0.7 lb | 2025 |
| 9 | Fond du Lac Reservoir | B | 201 | 3.1/net in trap nets | 29% | 11" | 0.6 lb | 2015 |
| 10 | Caribou Lake | B | 539 | 3.3/net in trap nets | 1% | 10" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
Also ranked near Duluth: Walleye · Northern pike · Largemouth bass · Bluegill · 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.