Channel Catfish Lakes in Minnesota

153 lakes where Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys have recorded channel catfish.

A species appears here when it turned up in a DNR survey net or electrofishing run, which tells you the fish is present — not how many there are. The counties with the most channel catfish lakes are Stearns (17), Martin (14), Wright (10).

New to the species? Read How to Catch Catfish in Minnesota: Channel Cats, Flatheads, Rivers & Limits.

1.St. Louis River Estuary

St. Louis · Duluth10,255 acres

Stocking on record

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2.Lake St. Croix

Washington · Stillwater8,393 acres

Stocking on record

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3.Lake Pepin

Goodhue · Lake City12,299 acres

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4.Cross Lake

Pine · Pine City925 acres

Special regulations

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5.Pokegama Lake

Pine · Pine City1,521 acres

Special regulations

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6.Green Lake

Kandiyohi · Spicer5,569 acres

Special regulations

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7.Island Lake Reservoir

St. Louis · Duluth8,001 acres

Special regulations

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8.Big Stone Lake

Big Stone · Ortonville11,984 acres

Stocking on record

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9.Lake Traverse

Traverse · Browns Valley10,849 acres

Stocking on record

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10.Lac qui Parle

Lac qui Parle · Milan5,741 acres

Special regulations

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11.Lake Byllesby

Dakota · Cannon Falls1,368 acres

Stocking on record

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12.Big Sandy Lake

Aitkin · McGregor6,125 acres

Special regulations

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All 153 lakes

Sorted by rank. Tap a lake for access, fish species and directions.

Lake	County	Regs	Acres	Max depth	Score
St. Louis River Estuarynear Duluth	St. Louis	Statewide	10,255	55 ft	82 out of 100 Lake Score
Lake St. Croixnear Stillwater	Washington	Statewide	8,393	78 ft	83 out of 100 Lake Score
Lake Pepinnear Lake City	Goodhue	Statewide	12,299	60 ft	76 out of 100 Lake Score
Cross Lakenear Pine City	Pine	Special	925	30 ft	54 out of 100 Lake Score
Pokegama Lakenear Pine City	Pine	Special	1,521	25 ft	58 out of 100 Lake Score
Green Lakenear Spicer	Kandiyohi	Special	5,569	110 ft	75 out of 100 Lake Score
Island Lake Reservoirnear Duluth	St. Louis	Special	8,001	94 ft	58 out of 100 Lake Score
Big Stone Lakenear Ortonville	Big Stone	Statewide	11,984	16 ft	77 out of 100 Lake Score
Lake Traversenear Browns Valley	Traverse	Statewide	10,849	12 ft	75 out of 100 Lake Score
Lac qui Parlenear Milan	Lac qui Parle	Special	5,741	15 ft	59 out of 100 Lake Score
Lake Byllesbynear Cannon Falls	Dakota	Statewide	1,368	50 ft	75 out of 100 Lake Score
Big Sandy Lakenear McGregor	Aitkin	Special	6,125	84 ft	69 out of 100 Lake Score
Lake Emilynear Hancock	Pope	Statewide	2,316	6 ft	50 out of 100 Lake Score
Lake Minnewaskanear Long Beach	Pope	Special	8,050	32 ft	74 out of 100 Lake Score
Little Birch Lakenear Grey Eagle	Todd	Statewide	839	89 ft	70 out of 100 Lake Score
Nest Lakenear Spicer	Kandiyohi	Special	969	40 ft	56 out of 100 Lake Score
Lake Zumbronear Oronoco	Olmsted	Statewide	715	43 ft	58 out of 100 Lake Score
Horseshoe Lakenear Richmond	Stearns	Special	629	57 ft	53 out of 100 Lake Score
Fish Lakenear Mora	Kanabec	Statewide	506	8 ft	55 out of 100 Lake Score
Big Spunk Lakenear Avon	Stearns	Statewide	415	38 ft	62 out of 100 Lake Score
Buffalo Lakenear Buffalo	Wright	Statewide	1,552	33 ft	61 out of 100 Lake Score
Rice Lakenear Paynesville	Stearns	Statewide	1,513	41 ft	53 out of 100 Lake Score
Lake Tetonkanear Waterville	Le Sueur	Statewide	1,358	35 ft	53 out of 100 Lake Score
Briggs Lakenear Clear Lake	Sherburne	Statewide	404	25 ft	51 out of 100 Lake Score
Marshnear Correll	Big Stone	Statewide	4,462	5 ft	52 out of 100 Lake Score
Cedar Island Lakenear Richmond	Stearns	Special	986	75 ft	55 out of 100 Lake Score
Roberds Lakenear Shieldsville	Rice	Statewide	632	43 ft	62 out of 100 Lake Score
Big Kandiyohi Lakenear Lake Lillian	Kandiyohi	Statewide	2,730	18 ft	61 out of 100 Lake Score
Lake Annnear Ogilvie	Kanabec	Statewide	653	17 ft	58 out of 100 Lake Score
Lake Washingtonnear Darwin	Meeker	Statewide	2,438	17 ft	52 out of 100 Lake Score
Big Swan Lakenear Kingston	Meeker	Statewide	684	32 ft	51 out of 100 Lake Score
Little Spirit Lakenear Jackson	Jackson	Statewide	624	8 ft	47 out of 100 Lake Score
Cokato Lakenear Cokato	Wright	Statewide	553	52 ft	55 out of 100 Lake Score
Shakopee Lakenear Onamia	Mille Lacs	Special	584	15 ft	54 out of 100 Lake Score
Lake Wakandanear Svea	Kandiyohi	Statewide	1,760	15 ft	53 out of 100 Lake Score
Long Lakenear Richmond	Stearns	Special	487	35 ft	52 out of 100 Lake Score
Lake Madisonnear Madison Lake	Blue Earth	Statewide	1,447	59 ft	61 out of 100 Lake Score
Artichoke Lakenear Correll	Big Stone	Statewide	1,971	16 ft	58 out of 100 Lake Score
Cannon Lakenear Faribault	Rice	Statewide	1,593	15 ft	56 out of 100 Lake Score
Orono Lakenear Elk River	Sherburne	Statewide	301	18 ft	55 out of 100 Lake Score
Rice Lakenear Brainerd	Crow Wing	Special	418	25 ft	52 out of 100 Lake Score
Whitewater Lakenear Hoyt Lakes	St. Louis	Statewide	1,212	73 ft	74 out of 100 Lake Score
Little Rock Lakenear Rice	Benton	Statewide	1,311	17 ft	66 out of 100 Lake Score
Lake Sheteknear Currie	Murray	Statewide	3,462	10 ft	57 out of 100 Lake Score
Dayton Hollow Reservoirnear Fergus Falls	Otter Tail	Statewide	227	32 ft	53 out of 100 Lake Score
Lake Elizabethnear Atwater	Kandiyohi	Statewide	1,023	9 ft	52 out of 100 Lake Score
Quamba Lakenear Quamba	Kanabec	Statewide	226	11 ft	49 out of 100 Lake Score
Okabena Lakenear Worthington	Nobles	Statewide	776	16 ft	65 out of 100 Lake Score
Collinwood Lakenear Dassel	Wright	Statewide	639	28 ft	58 out of 100 Lake Score
Lake Augustanear Fairhaven	Wright	Special	187	82 ft	58 out of 100 Lake Score
Two Rivers Lakenear Holdingford	Stearns	Statewide	583	63 ft	61 out of 100 Lake Score
Lake Elysiannear Elysian	Waseca	Statewide	2,215	13 ft	58 out of 100 Lake Score
Hall Lakenear Fairmont	Martin	Special	548	27 ft	52 out of 100 Lake Score
Colby Lakenear Hoyt Lakes	St. Louis	Statewide	518	30 ft	59 out of 100 Lake Score
Big Lakenear Richmond	Stearns	Statewide	458	42 ft	57 out of 100 Lake Score
Lura Lakenear Mapleton	Blue Earth	Statewide	1,359	9 ft	63 out of 100 Lake Score
Fish Lakenear Windom	Jackson	Statewide	297	26 ft	56 out of 100 Lake Score
Lake Lilliannear Lake Lillian	Kandiyohi	Statewide	1,151	8 ft	55 out of 100 Lake Score
North Brown's Lakenear Eden Valley	Stearns	Statewide	312	41 ft	55 out of 100 Lake Score
Sylvia Lakenear Ward Springs	Stearns	Statewide	85	56 ft	53 out of 100 Lake Score
Whiteface Reservoirnear Markham	St. Louis	Special	4,567	35 ft	74 out of 100 Lake Score
Talcot Lakenear Dundee	Cottonwood	Statewide	873	6 ft	63 out of 100 Lake Score
Fox Lakenear Sherburn	Martin	Statewide	951	20 ft	57 out of 100 Lake Score
Upper Sakatah Lakenear Waterville	Le Sueur	Statewide	892	12 ft	57 out of 100 Lake Score
Upper Comstock Lakenear Whiteface	St. Louis	Statewide	267	28 ft	53 out of 100 Lake Score
South Silver Lakenear Fairmont	Martin	Statewide	252	22 ft	50 out of 100 Lake Score
Budd Lakenear Fairmont	Martin	Special	228	23 ft	50 out of 100 Lake Score
Albert Lea Lakenear Albert Lea	Freeborn	Statewide	2,669	6 ft	70 out of 100 Lake Score
Spitzer Lakenear Urbank	Otter Tail	Statewide	731	33 ft	66 out of 100 Lake Score
Loon Lakenear Jackson	Jackson	Statewide	708	8 ft	52 out of 100 Lake Score
Iowa Lakenear Fairmont	Martin	Statewide	705	9 ft	49 out of 100 Lake Score
Wells Lakenear Faribault	Rice	Statewide	677	4 ft	47 out of 100 Lake Score
Lake Hanskanear Hanska	Brown	Statewide	1,795	16 ft	59 out of 100 Lake Score
Aitkin Lakenear Libby	Aitkin	Special	659	35 ft	55 out of 100 Lake Score
Orwell Lakenear Fergus Falls	Otter Tail	Special	608	25 ft	54 out of 100 Lake Score
Fountain Lakenear Albert Lea	Freeborn	Statewide	522	14 ft	53 out of 100 Lake Score
Pelican Lakenear Long Beach	Pope	Statewide	518	34 ft	53 out of 100 Lake Score
Foot Lakenear Willmar	Kandiyohi	Statewide	503	24 ft	53 out of 100 Lake Score
Little Rabbit Lakenear Riverton	Crow Wing	Special	172	30 ft	50 out of 100 Lake Score
Ella Lakenear Atwater	Kandiyohi	Statewide	153	12 ft	48 out of 100 Lake Score
Cottonwood Lakenear Windom	Cottonwood	Statewide	155	10 ft	47 out of 100 Lake Score
Sisseton Lakenear Fairmont	Martin	Special	138	19 ft	47 out of 100 Lake Score
Great Northern Lakenear Cold Spring	Stearns	Special	196	16 ft	45 out of 100 Lake Score
Clear Lakenear Jackson	Jackson	Special	434	9 ft	47 out of 100 Lake Score
Spring Lakenear Hastings	Dakota	Statewide	1,494	17 ft	57 out of 100 Lake Score
Lake Emilynear Saint Peter	Le Sueur	Statewide	300	37 ft	52 out of 100 Lake Score
Swan Lakenear Silver Lake	McLeod	Statewide	352	10 ft	51 out of 100 Lake Score
Eden Lakenear Eden Valley	Stearns	Statewide	278	77 ft	58 out of 100 Lake Score
Sabre Lakenear Cordova	Le Sueur	Statewide	258	13 ft	51 out of 100 Lake Score
Long Lakenear Saint James	Watonwan	Statewide	263	13 ft	49 out of 100 Lake Score
Round Lakenear Round Lake	Jackson	Statewide	930	9 ft	47 out of 100 Lake Score
Moosehead Lakenear Moose Lake	Carlton	Special	279	18 ft	64 out of 100 Lake Score
St. James Lakenear Saint James	Watonwan	Statewide	203	15 ft	55 out of 100 Lake Score
Louisa Lakenear Kimball	Wright	Statewide	193	44 ft	55 out of 100 Lake Score
Lake Minnetaganear Kandiyohi	Kandiyohi	Statewide	791	9 ft	50 out of 100 Lake Score
Bass Lakenear Delavan	Faribault	Statewide	199	20 ft	50 out of 100 Lake Score
Amber Lakenear Fairmont	Martin	Special	182	19 ft	48 out of 100 Lake Score
Fox Lakenear Currie	Murray	Statewide	172	9 ft	47 out of 100 Lake Score
Lake Marionnear Brownton	McLeod	Statewide	520	15 ft	57 out of 100 Lake Score
Bright Lakenear Ceylon	Martin	Statewide	639	7 ft	53 out of 100 Lake Score
Vails Lakenear Eden Valley	Stearns	Statewide	161	20 ft	50 out of 100 Lake Score
Betty Lakenear Kimball	Meeker	Statewide	154	29 ft	50 out of 100 Lake Score
West Graham Lakenear Kinbrae	Nobles	Statewide	519	8 ft	49 out of 100 Lake Score
Knaus Lakenear Cold Spring	Stearns	Special	216	20 ft	45 out of 100 Lake Score
Big Twin Lakenear Trimont	Martin	Statewide	461	18 ft	50 out of 100 Lake Score
Caroline Lakenear Fairhaven	Wright	Special	137	45 ft	49 out of 100 Lake Score
Crooked Lakenear Andover	Anoka	Special	115	26 ft	66 out of 100 Lake Score
Lime Lakenear Avoca	Murray	Statewide	326	7 ft	53 out of 100 Lake Score
Bolfing Lakenear Cold Spring	Stearns	Special	109	36 ft	47 out of 100 Lake Score
George Lakenear Fairmont	Martin	Special	83	11 ft	46 out of 100 Lake Score
Lower Sakatah Lakenear Morristown	Rice	Statewide	372	7 ft	44 out of 100 Lake Score
Zumwalde Lakenear Richmond	Stearns	Special	128	23 ft	44 out of 100 Lake Score
Sleepy Eye Lakenear Sleepy Eye	Brown	Statewide	241	21 ft	68 out of 100 Lake Score
Bloody Lakenear Currie	Murray	Statewide	274	9 ft	52 out of 100 Lake Score
Double Lakenear Storden	Cottonwood	Statewide	240	9 ft	48 out of 100 Lake Score
Little Waverly Lakenear Waverly	Wright	Statewide	338	12 ft	45 out of 100 Lake Score
Becker Lakenear Richmond	Stearns	Special	221	20 ft	49 out of 100 Lake Score
Bella Lakenear Worthington	Nobles	Statewide	180	14 ft	47 out of 100 Lake Score
Indian Lakenear Round Lake	Nobles	Statewide	197	6 ft	45 out of 100 Lake Score
Allie Lakenear Buffalo Lake	Renville	Statewide	509	12 ft	58 out of 100 Lake Score
East Graham Lakenear Fulda	Nobles	Statewide	511	8 ft	56 out of 100 Lake Score
Arvilla Lakenear Kingston	Meeker	Statewide	138	9 ft	47 out of 100 Lake Score
Deer Lakenear Buffalo	Wright	Statewide	171	27 ft	46 out of 100 Lake Score
Silver Lakenear Hawley	Clay	Statewide	115	39 ft	56 out of 100 Lake Score
Okamanpeedan Lakenear Ceylon	Martin	Statewide	2,268	7 ft	50 out of 100 Lake Score
Marie Lakenear Fairhaven	Stearns	Statewide	146	36 ft	48 out of 100 Lake Score
Pearl Lakenear Jackson	Jackson	Statewide	117	6 ft	48 out of 100 Lake Score
Gleason Lakenear Wayzata	Hennepin	Statewide	135	16 ft	45 out of 100 Lake Score
Silver Lakenear Columbia Heights	Ramsey	Statewide	71	47 ft	61 out of 100 Lake Score
Island Lakenear Shoreview	Ramsey	Special	59	11 ft	50 out of 100 Lake Score
Union Lakenear South Haven	Wright	Statewide	93	35 ft	49 out of 100 Lake Score
Clear Lakenear Ceylon	Martin	Statewide	267	7 ft	47 out of 100 Lake Score
U.S. Lock & Dam #1 Poolnear Falcon Heights	Hennepin	Statewide	471	9 ft	42 out of 100 Lake Score
Long Lakenear New Brighton	Ramsey	Statewide	173	30 ft	61 out of 100 Lake Score
Golden Lakenear Circle Pines	Anoka	Statewide	58	25 ft	63 out of 100 Lake Score
Wood Lakenear Wood Lake	Yellow Medicine	Statewide	485	9 ft	53 out of 100 Lake Score
East Twin Lakenear Florence	Lyon	Statewide	356	22 ft	46 out of 100 Lake Score
Ocheda Lakenear Worthington	Nobles	Statewide	1,691	5 ft	55 out of 100 Lake Score
Rock Lakenear Russell	Lyon	Statewide	379	8 ft	46 out of 100 Lake Score
Fish Lakenear Odin	Martin	Statewide	156	5 ft	40 out of 100 Lake Score
Split Rock Reservoirnear Pipestone	Pipestone	Statewide	96	16 ft	64 out of 100 Lake Score
Goose Lakenear Waconia	Carver	Statewide	302	10 ft	50 out of 100 Lake Score
Pickerel Lakenear Lilydale	Dakota	Statewide	114	11 ft	45 out of 100 Lake Score
Fish Lakenear Hasty	Wright	Statewide	97	38 ft	45 out of 100 Lake Score
St. Anthony Falls Poolnear Minneapolis	Hennepin	Statewide	317	9 ft	47 out of 100 Lake Score
Redwood Lakenear Redwood Falls	Redwood	Statewide	56	21 ft	45 out of 100 Lake Score
Imogene Lakenear Imogene	Martin	Special	186	6 ft	41 out of 100 Lake Score
Loon Lakenear Waseca	Waseca	Statewide	125	9 ft	43 out of 100 Lake Score
String Lakenear Wilder	Cottonwood	Statewide	336	4 ft	38 out of 100 Lake Score
Wilson Lakenear Lake Wilson	Murray	Statewide	179	8 ft	41 out of 100 Lake Score
Thomson Reservoirnear Thomson	Carlton	Statewide	390	22 ft	43 out of 100 Lake Score
Cedar Island Lakenear Biwabik	St. Louis	Statewide	205	20 ft	26 out of 100 Lake Score
North Drywood Lakenear Artichoke	Swift	Statewide	404	—	19 out of 100 Lake Score

Other species

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I catch channel catfish in Minnesota?

DNR surveys have recorded channel catfish in 153 of the lakes in this directory. The top-ranked are St. Louis River Estuary (St. Louis County), Lake St. Croix (Washington County), Lake Pepin (Goodhue County).

Are there special regulations for channel catfish?

Statewide seasons and limits apply unless a lake has its own rule. 34 of the lakes listed here carry special regulations of some kind; each lake page shows the text. Always confirm with the current DNR fishing regulations.