Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best crappie lakes near St. Cloud
The DNR has surveyed crappie in 125 lakes within 25 miles of St. Cloud. Of those, 58 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.
Sand Lake is first at A. The DNR caught 318 crappie per trap net in the 2012 survey, and the biggest was 11 inches. Elk Lake is second at A−, with 11.8 crappie per trap net in the 2019 survey, and 7% of its crappie measured over 10 inches. Mink Lake is third at A−, and its biggest crappie was 13 inches.
| # | 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 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.