Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best walleye lakes in Stearns County
52 surveyed walleye lakes sit in Stearns County; 23 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.
Koronis (main lake) leads at grade A, with 22.3 walleye per net in gill nets in its 2025 survey and a 28-inch fish the biggest measured. Rice Lake is next at A, 10.6 walleye per net in gill nets in its 2025 survey, 17% of the walleye netted over 20 inches. Pearl Lake rounds out the top three at A−, a 27-inch fish the biggest measured.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 20" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Koronis (main lake) | A | 2,968 | 22.3/net in gill nets | 5% | 28" | 1.8 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Rice Lake | A | 1,513 | 10.6/net in gill nets | 17% | 29" | 2.2 lb | 2025 |
| 3 | Pearl Lake | A− | 753 | 8.3/net in gill nets | 19% | 27" | 1.8 lb | 2025 |
| 4 | Big Lake | B+ | 458 | 7.9/net in gill nets | 24% | 26" | 2 lb | 2017 |
| 5 | Grand Lake | B+ | 651 | 7.3/net in gill nets | 14% | 25" | 1.6 lb | 2025 |
| 6 | Two Rivers Lake | B+ | 584 | 4.6/net in gill nets | 24% | 29" | 2 lb | 2024 |
| 7 | Eden Lake | B+ | 278 | 8.5/net in gill nets | 18% | 26" | 2 lb | 2024 |
| 8 | Cedar Island Lake | B+ | 986 | 3.8/net in gill nets | 13% | 28" | 2.1 lb | 2025 |
| 9 | Long Lake | B | 487 | 4.4/net in gill nets | 14% | 28" | 2.4 lb | 2025 |
| 10 | North Brown's Lake | B | 312 | 4.6/net in gill nets | 31% | 26" | 2 lb | 2024 |
Also ranked in Stearns County: Northern pike · Largemouth bass · Smallmouth bass · Crappie · Bluegill · Yellow perch
All of Minnesota: Best walleye 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.