Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best walleye lakes near Duluth
34 surveyed walleye lakes sit within 25 miles of Duluth; 11 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.
Wild Rice Lake leads at grade A, with 15.9 walleye per net in gill nets in its 2024 survey and a 28-inch fish the biggest measured. Island Lake Reservoir is next at A, 4.9 walleye per net in gill nets in its 2025 survey, 12% of the walleye netted over 20 inches. Fish Lake Flowage 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 | Wild Rice Lake | A | 2,372 | 15.9/net in gill nets | 11% | 28" | 1.6 lb | 2024 |
| 2 | Island Lake Reservoir | A | 8,001 | 4.9/net in gill nets | 12% | 31" | 1.4 lb | 2025 |
| 3 | Fish Lake Flowage | A− | 3,259 | 8/net in gill nets | 13% | 26" | 2.3 lb | 2025 |
| 4 | Pike Lake | B+ | 488 | 15.6/net in gill nets | 6% | 24" | 1.1 lb | 2019 |
| 5 | Caribou Lake | B+ | 539 | 6.3/net in gill nets | 29% | 24" | 2.2 lb | 2025 |
| 6 | Boulder Lake | B+ | 3,260 | 6.7/net in gill nets | 1% | 25" | 1.2 lb | 2025 |
| 7 | Grand Lake | B | 1,665 | 2.8/net in gill nets | 20% | 23" | 1.8 lb | 2019 |
| 8 | Spring Lake | C+ | 98 | — | 0% | 19" | 3 lb | 2008 |
| 9 | Hay Lake | C+ | 140 | 4/net in gill nets | 16% | 25" | 2.1 lb | 2021 |
| 10 | Fond du Lac Reservoir | C | 201 | 3.5/net in gill nets | 14% | 22" | 0.8 lb | 2015 |
Also ranked near Duluth: Northern pike · Largemouth 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.