Minnesota · ranked from DNR surveys
Best crappie lakes in Washington County
The DNR has surveyed crappie in 36 lakes in Washington County. The 10 ranked below are the ones that earn a grade on this site. Grades come from survey catch rates, fish size and trophy history, scored the same way for every lake on the live map.
DeMontreville Lake is first at B+. The DNR caught 5.1 crappie per trap net in the 2019 survey, and the biggest was 12 inches. Forest Lake is second at B−, with 0.9 crappie per trap net in the 2025 survey, and 4% of its crappie measured over 10 inches. Big Marine Lake is third at C+, and its biggest crappie was 11 inches.
| # | Lake | Grade | Acres | Survey catch rate | Over 10" | Biggest Surveyed | Avg wt | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DeMontreville Lake | B+ | 157 | 5.1/net in trap nets | 23% | 12" | 1 lb | 2019 |
| 2 | Forest Lake | B− | 2,271 | 0.9/net in trap nets | 4% | 11" | 0.2 lb | 2025 |
| 3 | Big Marine Lake | C+ | 1,799 | — | 12% | 11" | 0.3 lb | 2024 |
| 4 | Clear Lake | C+ | 429 | 2/net in trap nets | 0% | 9" | 0.2 lb | 2024 |
| 5 | White Bear Lake | C+ | 2,428 | — | 15% | 11" | 0.4 lb | 2024 |
| 6 | Bone Lake | C+ | 221 | — | 7% | 10" | 0.3 lb | 2024 |
| 7 | Square Lake | C+ | 203 | 2.3/net in trap nets | 4% | 10" | 0.4 lb | 2016 |
| 8 | Elmo Lake | C− | 257 | 0.4/net in trap nets | 54% | 14" | 0.6 lb | 2025 |
| 9 | Jane Lake | C− | 158 | 0.9/net in trap nets | 3% | 12" | 0.3 lb | 2019 |
| 10 | Battle Creek Lake | C− | 106 | 1.2/net in trap nets | 17% | 10" | 0.3 lb | 2024 |
Also ranked in Washington County: Walleye · Northern pike · Largemouth 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.