Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best bluegill lakes near Minneapolis
216 surveyed bluegill lakes sit within 25 miles of Minneapolis; 69 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.
Independence Lake leads at grade A, with 52.2 bluegill per net in trap nets in its 2025 survey and a 11-inch fish the biggest measured. Minnetonka Lake is next at A−, 92 bluegill per net in trap nets in its 2022 survey, 1% of the bluegill netted over 8 inches. Medicine 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 | Independence Lake | A | 832 | 52.2/net in trap nets | 1% | 11" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Minnetonka Lake | A− | 14,206 | 92/net in trap nets | 1% | 8" | 0.2 lb | 2022 |
| 3 | Medicine Lake | A− | 924 | 33/net in trap nets | 2% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2023 |
| 4 | Sarah Lake | A− | 557 | 42.9/net in trap nets | 4% | 8" | 0.2 lb | 2022 |
| 5 | Bavaria Lake | B+ | 167 | 122.8/net in trap nets | 1% | 8" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 6 | Long Lake | B+ | 285 | 65.4/net in trap nets | 1% | 9" | 0.2 lb | 2023 |
| 7 | Harriet Lake | B+ | 341 | 64.6/net in trap nets | 2% | 8" | 0.2 lb | 2024 |
| 8 | Spring Lake | B+ | 592 | 39.4/net in trap nets | 1% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 9 | McMahon Lake | B+ | 187 | 42/net in trap nets | 5% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 10 | Lower Prior Lake | B+ | 956 | 31.6/net in trap nets | 2% | 8" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
Also ranked near Minneapolis: Walleye · Northern pike · Muskellunge · Largemouth 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.