Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best bluegill lakes near St. Cloud
The DNR has surveyed bluegill in 127 lakes within 25 miles of St. Cloud. Of those, 63 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.
Somers Lake is first at A. The DNR caught 86.3 bluegill per trap net in the 2025 survey, and the biggest was 10 inches. Cedar Lake is second at A−, with 37.6 bluegill per trap net in the 2024 survey, and 2% of its bluegill measured over 8 inches. Grand Lake is third at B+, and its biggest bluegill was 8 inches.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 8" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Somers Lake | A | 151 | 86.3/net in trap nets | 6% | 10" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Cedar Lake | A− | 790 | 37.6/net in trap nets | 2% | 9" | 0.2 lb | 2024 |
| 3 | Grand Lake | B+ | 651 | 54.5/net in trap nets | 1% | 8" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 4 | Mink Lake | B+ | 280 | 72.9/net in trap nets | 1% | 8" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 5 | Big Lake | B+ | 458 | 28.2/net in trap nets | 4% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2017 |
| 6 | Sugar Lake | B+ | 1,014 | 17.1/net in trap nets | 3% | 9" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 7 | Upper Maple Lake | B+ | 633 | 18.2/net in trap nets | 5% | 9" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 8 | Big Watab Lake | B | 246 | 22.3/net in trap nets | 9% | 9" | 0.3 lb | 2025 |
| 9 | Indian Lake | B | 139 | 32.6/net in trap nets | 5% | 9" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 10 | Francis Lake | B | 1,053 | 14.9/net in trap nets | 5% | 8" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
Also ranked near St. Cloud: Walleye · Northern pike · Largemouth bass · Smallmouth bass · Crappie · Yellow perch
All of Minnesota: Best bluegill 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.