Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best walleye lakes in St. Louis County
The DNR has surveyed walleye in 259 lakes in St. Louis County. Of those, 108 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 6.1 walleye per gill net in the 2025 survey, and the biggest was 31 inches. Vermilion Lake is second at A+, with 16.4 walleye per gill net in the 2025 survey, and 4% of its walleye measured over 20 inches. Pelican Lake is third at A+, and its biggest walleye was 29 inches.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 20" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rainy Lake | A+ | 210,200 | 6.1/net in gill nets | 7% | 31" | 1.6 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Vermilion Lake | A+ | 39,272 | 16.4/net in gill nets | 4% | 29" | 1.1 lb | 2025 |
| 3 | Pelican Lake | A+ | 11,546 | 6.8/net in gill nets | 22% | 29" | 2 lb | 2022 |
| 4 | Birch Lake | A | 7,074 | 10.2/net in gill nets | 7% | 28" | 1 lb | 2025 |
| 5 | Wild Rice Lake | A | 2,372 | 15.9/net in gill nets | 11% | 28" | 1.6 lb | 2024 |
| 6 | Lac la Croix Lake | A | 29,597 | 3.3/net in gill nets | 25% | 28" | 1.9 lb | 2025 |
| 7 | Kabetogama Lake | A | 24,034 | 8.8/net in gill nets | 6% | 27" | 1.6 lb | 2025 |
| 8 | Little Vermilion Lake | A | 1,288 | 20.5/net in gill nets | 8% | 30" | 0.9 lb | 2021 |
| 9 | Namakan Lake | A | 24,066 | 6.7/net in gill nets | 11% | 27" | 1 lb | 2025 |
| 10 | Island Lake Reservoir | A | 8,001 | 4.9/net in gill nets | 12% | 31" | 1.4 lb | 2025 |
Also ranked in St. Louis County: Northern pike · Largemouth bass · Smallmouth bass · Crappie · Bluegill · Yellow perch
All of Minnesota: Best walleye 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.