Minnesota Sunfish Limit 2026
Statewide sunfish limits and seasons
Quoted verbatim from the 2026 Minnesota DNR regulations. These inland rules apply unless a lake's special regulation or a border-water rulebook overrides them.
Sunfish
20 combined total
Lakes with special sunfish regulations
260 lakes carry special sunfish regulations in the 2026 DNR list — lake-specific rules that override the statewide limits above. Each lake page quotes the exact rules.
- Franklin — Otter Tail County
- Willow Reservoir 6A — Olmsted County
- Height of Land — Becker County
- Annie Battle — Otter Tail County
- Twenty-one — Otter Tail County
- South Lida — Otter Tail County
- Stuart — Otter Tail County
- Big Pine — Otter Tail County
- Little Sugar Bush — Becker County
- Lower Mission — Crow Wing County
- Turtle — Becker County
- Fladmark — Otter Tail County
- Eunice — Becker County
- Moon — Douglas County
- Winnibigoshish — Cass County
- Bass — Otter Tail County
- Cedar — Todd County
- Lady — Todd County
- Upper Mission — Crow Wing County
- Carnelian — Stearns County
- Crystal — Otter Tail County
- Island — Cass County
- Minnewaska — Pope County
- Windigo — Beltrami County
- Welch — Cass County
- Andrew — Douglas County
- Floyd — Becker County
- Long — Kandiyohi County
- Whiskey — Douglas County
- Gladstone — Crow Wing County
- Maud — Becker County
- Willow Reservoir 4 — Olmsted County
- Amelia — Pope County
- East Lake Sylvia — Wright County
- Fish — Otter Tail County
- West Lake Sylvia — Wright County
- Deer — Otter Tail County
- Wild Rice — St. Louis County
- North Lida — Otter Tail County
- Buffalo — Becker County
- Battle — Itasca County
- Black Bass — Mille Lacs County
- North Tamarack — Becker County
- Big Bass (east basin) — Beltrami County
- Upper Prior — Scott County
- Irene — Douglas County
- Little Rice — Beltrami County
- Moose — Todd County
- Otter Tail River(Red Rive — Otter Tail County
- West Lost — Otter Tail County
- Basswood — Lake County
- Becker — Stearns County
- Big — Beltrami County
- Buck — Todd County
- Mill — Douglas County
- Island — Crow Wing County
- Low — St. Louis County
- North Long — Crow Wing County
- Reno — Pope County
- West Silent — Otter Tail County
Showing the top 60 by FishGrade score — 200 more lakes carry special sunfish regulations. Each lake's own page lists its rules.
17 more waters — river and stream sections without a lake page — also carry special sunfish regulations; see the official DNR booklet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many sunfish can you keep in Minnesota?
Under the 2026 Minnesota regulations, the statewide inland sunfish limit is: 20 combined total. 260 Minnesota lakes carry special sunfish regulations that override the statewide limit — check your lake on this page before keeping fish. Verify current rules with the Minnesota DNR before keeping fish.
Which fish count as sunfish in Minnesota?
The sunfish limit covers the sunfish species as one group — bluegill, pumpkinseed, green sunfish, and their hybrids — under a single combined limit: 20 combined total.
Do any lakes have lower sunfish limits?
Yes — 260 Minnesota lakes carry special sunfish regulations that override the statewide limit, the largest special-regulation group in the state. Check the list on this page and verify your lake before keeping fish.