Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best northern pike lakes in Stearns County
The DNR has surveyed northern pike in 74 lakes in Stearns County. Of those, 38 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.
Koronis (main lake) is first at A. The DNR caught 8 northern pike per gill net in the 2025 survey, and the biggest was 37 inches. Grand Lake is second at A, with 18.1 northern pike per gill net in the 2025 survey, and 5% of its northern pike measured over 30 inches. Rice Lake is third at A, and its biggest northern pike was 34 inches.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 30" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Koronis (main lake) | A | 2,968 | 8/net in gill nets | 19% | 37" | 4.1 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Grand Lake | A | 651 | 18.1/net in gill nets | 5% | 34" | 2.7 lb | 2025 |
| 3 | Rice Lake | A | 1,513 | 10.3/net in gill nets | 13% | 34" | 3.5 lb | 2025 |
| 4 | Two Rivers Lake | A− | 584 | 13.1/net in gill nets | 9% | 35" | 3.1 lb | 2024 |
| 5 | Big Spunk Lake | A− | 415 | 20.7/net in gill nets | 2% | 33" | 1.9 lb | 2023 |
| 6 | North Brown's Lake | A− | 312 | 17.8/net in gill nets | 4% | 33" | 2.2 lb | 2024 |
| 7 | Lower Spunk Lake | B+ | 179 | 18/net in gill nets | 6% | 33" | 2.1 lb | 2023 |
| 8 | Carnelian Lake | B+ | 180 | 15.7/net in gill nets | 3% | 37" | 1.5 lb | 2024 |
| 9 | Pearl Lake | B+ | 753 | 9.4/net in gill nets | 5% | 32" | 2 lb | 2025 |
| 10 | Big Lake | B+ | 458 | 9.8/net in gill nets | 4% | 33" | 2 lb | 2017 |
Also ranked in Stearns County: Walleye · Largemouth bass · Smallmouth bass · Crappie · Bluegill · Yellow perch
All of Minnesota: Best northern pike 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.