Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best crappie lakes in St. Louis County
The DNR has surveyed crappie in 230 lakes in St. Louis County. Of those, 105 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.
Rainy Lake is first at A+. The DNR caught 8.5 crappie per trap net in the 2025 survey, and the biggest was 14 inches. Vermilion Lake is second at A+, with 5 crappie per trap net in the 2025 survey, and 31% of its crappie measured over 10 inches. Ash 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 | 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 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.