Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best crappie lakes near St. Cloud
125 surveyed crappie lakes sit within 25 miles of St. Cloud; 58 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.
Sand Lake leads at grade A, with 318 crappie per net in trap nets in its 2012 survey and a 11-inch fish the biggest measured. Elk Lake is next at A−, 11.8 crappie per net in trap nets in its 2019 survey, 7% of the crappie netted over 10 inches. Mink Lake rounds out the top three at A−, a 13-inch fish the biggest measured.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 10" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sand Lake | A | 209 | 318/net in trap nets | 4% | 11" | — | 2012 |
| 2 | Elk Lake | A− | 357 | 11.8/net in trap nets | 7% | 12" | 0.3 lb | 2019 |
| 3 | Mink Lake | A− | 280 | 11.2/net in trap nets | 3% | 13" | 0.1 lb | 2025 |
| 4 | Somers Lake | A− | 151 | 15.1/net in trap nets | 3% | 12" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 5 | Caroline Lake | B+ | 137 | 4.8/net in trap nets | 55% | 13" | 0.5 lb | 2019 |
| 6 | Two Rivers Lake | B+ | 584 | 4.7/net in trap nets | 14% | 11" | 0.3 lb | 2024 |
| 7 | Augusta Lake | B+ | 187 | 4.4/net in trap nets | 33% | 13" | 0.4 lb | 2019 |
| 8 | Carnelian Lake | B+ | 180 | 3.6/net in trap nets | 46% | 13" | 0.5 lb | 2024 |
| 9 | Francis Lake | B+ | 1,053 | 2.1/net in trap nets | 15% | 12" | 0.3 lb | 2025 |
| 10 | Clear Lake | B+ | 118 | 7.6/net in trap nets | 8% | 11" | 0.4 lb | 2024 |
Also ranked near St. Cloud: Walleye · Northern pike · Largemouth bass · Smallmouth 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.