Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best walleye lakes in Minnesota
2281 surveyed walleye lakes sit across Minnesota; 1388 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 25 are ranked here.
Leech Lake leads at grade A+, with 8.8 walleye per net in gill nets in its 2025 survey and a 31-inch fish the biggest measured. Lake of the Woods is next at A+, 15.7 walleye per net in gill nets in its 2025 survey, 19% of the walleye netted over 20 inches. Red (Upper Red) Lake rounds out the top three at A+, a 29-inch fish the biggest measured.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 20" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leech Lake | A+ | 103,444 | 8.8/net in gill nets | 11% | 31" | 1.6 lb | 2025 |
| 2 | Lake of the Woods | A+ | 725,583 | 15.7/net in gill nets | 19% | 31" | 1 lb | 2025 |
| 3 | Red (Upper Red) Lake | A+ | 119,294 | 45.1/net in gill nets | 0% | 29" | 1 lb | 2025 |
| 4 | Rainy Lake | A+ | 210,200 | 6.1/net in gill nets | 7% | 31" | 1.6 lb | 2025 |
| 5 | Basswood Lake | A+ | 25,953 | 15.4/net in gill nets | 15% | 29" | 1.5 lb | 2025 |
| 6 | Vermilion Lake | A+ | 39,272 | 16.4/net in gill nets | 4% | 29" | 1.1 lb | 2025 |
| 7 | Mille Lacs Lake | A+ | 128,250 | 11.9/net in gill nets | 10% | 28" | 1.6 lb | 2025 |
| 8 | Traverse Lake | A+ | 10,849 | 26.9/net in gill nets | 6% | 28" | 1.6 lb | 2025 |
| 9 | Pelican Lake | A+ | 11,546 | 6.8/net in gill nets | 22% | 29" | 2 lb | 2022 |
| 10 | Cass Lake | A+ | 15,958 | 10.3/net in gill nets | 13% | 28" | 1.5 lb | 2025 |
| 11 | Lake Miltona | A+ | 5,731 | 10.8/net in gill nets | 15% | 28" | 1.6 lb | 2023 |
| 12 | Otter Tail Lake | A+ | 14,079 | 10.4/net in gill nets | 10% | 28" | 1.2 lb | 2024 |
| 13 | Birch Lake | A | 7,074 | 10.2/net in gill nets | 7% | 28" | 1 lb | 2025 |
| 14 | Koronis (main lake) | A | 2,968 | 22.3/net in gill nets | 5% | 28" | 1.8 lb | 2025 |
| 15 | Wild Rice Lake | A | 2,372 | 15.9/net in gill nets | 11% | 28" | 1.6 lb | 2024 |
| 16 | Big Stone Lake | A | 11,984 | 7.8/net in gill nets | 35% | 28" | 2.7 lb | 2025 |
| 17 | Pelican Lake | A | 3,962 | 13.8/net in gill nets | 9% | 28" | 1.2 lb | 2025 |
| 18 | Tulaby Lake | A | 832 | 27.6/net in gill nets | 12% | 28" | 1.2 lb | 2025 |
| 19 | Benton Lake | A | 2,700 | 12.8/net in gill nets | 11% | 28" | 1.8 lb | 2025 |
| 20 | Diamond Lake | A | 1,610 | 30.3/net in gill nets | 9% | 27" | 2.1 lb | 2025 |
| 21 | Kabetogama Lake | A | 24,034 | 8.8/net in gill nets | 6% | 27" | 1.6 lb | 2025 |
| 22 | White Earth Lake | A | 1,989 | 32.1/net in gill nets | 4% | 27" | 1 lb | 2025 |
| 23 | Marion Lake | A | 520 | 26.6/net in gill nets | 10% | 29" | 1.8 lb | 2025 |
| 24 | Detroit Lake | A | 3,067 | 8.2/net in gill nets | 31% | 29" | 2.4 lb | 2025 |
| 25 | Big Cormorant Lake | A | 3,657 | 15.1/net in gill nets | 19% | 27" | 1.6 lb | 2025 |
Also ranked statewide: Northern pike · Muskellunge · Largemouth bass · Smallmouth bass · Crappie · Bluegill · Yellow perch
Walleye by county: Aitkin · Becker · Beltrami · Big Stone · Blue Earth · Carlton · Carver · Cass · Chisago · Clearwater · Cook · Cottonwood · Crow Wing · Douglas · Grant · Hennepin · Hubbard · Isanti · Itasca · Jackson · Kanabec · Kandiyohi · Lake · Le Sueur · Lincoln · Lyon · Mahnomen · Martin · McLeod · Meeker · Morrison · Murray · Nobles · Otter Tail · Pine · Polk · Pope · Ramsey · Rice · Scott · Sherburne · St. Louis · Stearns · Stevens · Swift · Todd · Washington · Wright
Walleye near a city: Minneapolis · St. Paul · Duluth · St. Cloud · Brainerd · Bemidji · Mankato · Grand Rapids · Alexandria · Willmar
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.