Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best crappie lakes near Minneapolis
211 surveyed crappie lakes sit within 25 miles of Minneapolis; 62 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.
Minnetonka Lake leads at grade A−, with 1.9 crappie per net in trap nets in its 2022 survey and a 12-inch fish the biggest measured. Upper Prior Lake is next at A−, 7.2 crappie per net in trap nets in its 2025 survey, 6% of the crappie netted over 10 inches. Lotus Lake rounds out the top three at A−, a 15-inch fish the biggest measured.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 10" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnetonka Lake | A− | 14,206 | 1.9/net in trap nets | 13% | 12" | 0.3 lb | 2022 |
| 2 | Upper Prior Lake | A− | 386 | 7.2/net in trap nets | 6% | 14" | 0.3 lb | 2025 |
| 3 | Lotus Lake | A− | 245 | 12.6/net in trap nets | 1% | 15" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 4 | Spring Lake | A− | 592 | 47.3/net in trap nets | 1% | 10" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 5 | Peltier Lake | A− | 552 | 4.7/net in trap nets | 4% | 14" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 6 | Independence Lake | A− | 832 | 5.9/net in trap nets | 8% | 11" | 0.3 lb | 2025 |
| 7 | Long Lake | A− | 285 | 16.9/net in trap nets | 3% | 10" | 0.3 lb | 2023 |
| 8 | Bde Maka Ska Lake | B+ | 424 | 8.4/net in trap nets | 3% | 11" | 0.3 lb | 2024 |
| 9 | Nokomis Lake | B+ | 201 | 21/net in trap nets | 2% | 10" | 0.3 lb | 2023 |
| 10 | Sarah Lake | B+ | 557 | 18.2/net in trap nets | 0% | 10" | 0.2 lb | 2022 |
Also ranked near Minneapolis: Walleye · Northern pike · Muskellunge · Largemouth 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.