Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best crappie lakes near St. Paul
The DNR has surveyed crappie in 175 lakes within 25 miles of St. Paul. Of those, 47 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.
Upper Prior Lake is first at A−. The DNR caught 7.2 crappie per trap net in the 2025 survey, and the biggest was 14 inches. Lotus Lake is second at A−, with 12.6 crappie per trap net in the 2025 survey, and 1% of its crappie measured over 10 inches. Peltier Lake is third at A−, and its biggest crappie was 14 inches.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 10" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Upper Prior Lake | A− | 386 | 7.2/net in trap nets | 6% | 14" | 0.3 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Lotus Lake | A− | 245 | 12.6/net in trap nets | 1% | 15" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 3 | Peltier Lake | A− | 552 | 4.7/net in trap nets | 4% | 14" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 4 | Long Lake | A− | 285 | 16.9/net in trap nets | 3% | 10" | 0.3 lb | 2023 |
| 5 | Bde Maka Ska Lake | B+ | 424 | 8.4/net in trap nets | 3% | 11" | 0.3 lb | 2024 |
| 6 | Nokomis Lake | B+ | 201 | 21/net in trap nets | 2% | 10" | 0.3 lb | 2023 |
| 7 | Johanna Lake | B+ | 212 | 16.8/net in trap nets | 0% | 10" | 0.1 lb | 2021 |
| 8 | DeMontreville Lake | B+ | 157 | 5.1/net in trap nets | 23% | 12" | 1 lb | 2019 |
| 9 | Mitchell Lake | B+ | 114 | 13.4/net in trap nets | 2% | 10" | 0.2 lb | 2021 |
| 10 | Coon Lake | B+ | 1,481 | 1.8/net in trap nets | 8% | 11" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
Also ranked near St. Paul: Walleye · Northern pike · Muskellunge · Largemouth 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.