Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best crappie lakes in St. Louis County
230 surveyed crappie lakes sit in St. Louis County; 105 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.
Rainy Lake leads at grade A+, with 8.5 crappie per net in trap nets in its 2025 survey and a 14-inch fish the biggest measured. Vermilion Lake is next at A+, 5 crappie per net in trap nets in its 2025 survey, 31% of the crappie netted over 10 inches. Ash 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 | Rainy Lake | A+ | 210,200 | 8.5/net in trap nets | 9% | 14" | 0.7 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Vermilion Lake | A+ | 39,272 | 5/net in trap nets | 31% | 14" | 0.5 lb | 2025 |
| 3 | Ash Lake | A | 690 | 8.1/net in trap nets | 24% | 13" | 0.5 lb | 2023 |
| 4 | Elbow Lake | A | 169 | 23.2/net in trap nets | 15% | 12" | 0.2 lb | 2016 |
| 5 | Echo Lake | A | 1,142 | 4.9/net in trap nets | 19% | 13" | 0.3 lb | 2025 |
| 6 | West Two Rivers Reservoir | A | 967 | 5.3/net in trap nets | 14% | 13" | 0.3 lb | 2013 |
| 7 | Island Lake Reservoir | A− | 8,001 | 1.1/net in trap nets | 65% | 14" | 0.7 lb | 2025 |
| 8 | Sand Lake | A− | 779 | 7.8/net in trap nets | 8% | 12" | 0.1 lb | 2023 |
| 9 | Pelican Lake | A− | 11,546 | 3.2/net in trap nets | 4% | 11" | 0.2 lb | 2022 |
| 10 | West Twin Lake | A− | 121 | 25/net in trap nets | 3% | 12" | 0.2 lb | 2015 |
Also ranked in St. Louis County: 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.