Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best crappie lakes in Rice County
The DNR has surveyed crappie in 18 lakes in Rice County. Of those, 13 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.
Cedar Lake is first at A. The DNR caught 15.7 crappie per trap net in the 2025 survey, and the biggest was 13 inches. Hunt Lake is second at A−, with 5.2 crappie per trap net in the 2023 survey, and 29% of its crappie measured over 10 inches. Wells 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 | Cedar Lake | A | 902 | 15.7/net in trap nets | 2% | 13" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Hunt Lake | A− | 176 | 5.2/net in trap nets | 29% | 15" | 0.5 lb | 2023 |
| 3 | Wells Lake | A− | 678 | 3.1/net in trap nets | 32% | 13" | 0.4 lb | 2020 |
| 4 | Cannon Lake | B+ | 1,593 | 2.6/net in trap nets | 4% | 13" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 5 | Rice Lake | B+ | 331 | 9.7/net in trap nets | 1% | 11" | 0.1 lb | 2015 |
| 6 | Roberds Lake | B+ | 632 | 2.4/net in trap nets | 9% | 14" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 7 | French Lake | B+ | 876 | 2.6/net in trap nets | 4% | 13" | 0.2 lb | 2024 |
| 8 | Shields Lake | B | 941 | 1.4/net in trap nets | 9% | 12" | 0.3 lb | 2023 |
| 9 | Kelly & Dudley Lake | B | 128 | 4.6/net in trap nets | 6% | 10" | 0.2 lb | 2022 |
| 10 | Fox Lake | B− | 312 | 2.2/net in trap nets | 10% | 10" | 0.2 lb | 2023 |
Also ranked in Rice County: Walleye · Northern pike · 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.