Best Freshwater Drum Lakes in Minnesota
Top freshwater drum lakes
144 Minnesota lakes have enough DNR survey data to earn a FishGrade score for freshwater drum; 36 of them are at least 1,000 acres. The top 15 are ranked below by FishGrade's 0–100 score: abundance against the DNR normal range for similar lakes, plus size structure. Byllesby leads at 87. Across all 36 qualifying lakes the median score is 56.
See all 144 freshwater drum lakes on the map| # | Lake | County | Acres | Score | Catch rate | Keeper-size | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Byllesby | Dakota | 1,368 | Excellent · 87 | 18.1per gill net | - | 2023 |
| 2 | Washington | Le Sueur | 1,516 | Excellent · 80 | 73.9per gill net | - | 2025 |
| 3 | St. Croix River-Stlwtr-Prescott | Washington | 8,393 | Excellent · 79 | 1.9per gill net | - | 2009 |
| 4 | Norway | Kandiyohi | 2,339 | Excellent · 78 | 24.0per gill net | - | 2024 |
| 5 | West Rush | Chisago | 1,594 | Good · 69 | 3.5per gill net | - | 2025 |
| 6 | Madison | Blue Earth | 1,447 | Good · 69 | 28.6per gill net | - | 2025 |
| 7 | Waconia | Carver | 3,080 | Good · 68 | 3.5per gill net | - | 2025 |
| 8 | Big Stone | Big Stone | 11,984 | Good · 66 | 30.7per gill net | - | 2025 |
| 9 | St. Louis River Estuary | St. Louis | 10,255 | Good · 65 | 0.95per gill net | - | 2025 |
| 10 | Pokegama | Pine | 1,521 | Good · 64 | 4.9per gill net | - | 2022 |
| 11 | Upper Red Lake | Beltrami | 119,294 | Good · 63 | 1.4per gill net | - | 2025 |
| 12 | Traverse | Traverse | 10,849 | Good · 63 | 6.8per gill net | - | 2025 |
| 13 | Emily | Pope | 2,316 | Good · 63 | 2.9per gill net | - | 2025 |
| 14 | Hanska | Brown | 1,795 | Good · 62 | 12.3per gill net | - | 2025 |
| 15 | Tetonka | Le Sueur | 1,358 | Good · 62 | 4.8per gill net | - | 2023 |
- 1. ByllesbyExcellent · 87
Dakota County · 1,368 acres
18.1 per gill net · surveyed 2023
- 2. WashingtonExcellent · 80
Le Sueur County · 1,516 acres
73.9 per gill net · surveyed 2025
- 3. St. Croix River-Stlwtr-PrescottExcellent · 79
Washington County · 8,393 acres
1.9 per gill net · surveyed 2009
24.0 per gill net · surveyed 2024
- 5. West RushGood · 69
Chisago County · 1,594 acres
3.5 per gill net · surveyed 2025
- 6. MadisonGood · 69
Blue Earth County · 1,447 acres
28.6 per gill net · surveyed 2025
- 7. WaconiaGood · 68
Carver County · 3,080 acres
3.5 per gill net · surveyed 2025
- 8. Big StoneGood · 66
Big Stone County · 11,984 acres
30.7 per gill net · surveyed 2025
- 9. St. Louis River EstuaryGood · 65
St. Louis County · 10,255 acres
0.95 per gill net · surveyed 2025
- 10. PokegamaGood · 64
Pine County · 1,521 acres
4.9 per gill net · surveyed 2022
- 11. Upper Red LakeGood · 63
Beltrami County · 119,294 acres
1.4 per gill net · surveyed 2025
- 12. TraverseGood · 63
Traverse County · 10,849 acres
6.8 per gill net · surveyed 2025
2.9 per gill net · surveyed 2025
- 14. HanskaGood · 62
Brown County · 1,795 acres
12.3 per gill net · surveyed 2025
- 15. TetonkaGood · 62
Le Sueur County · 1,358 acres
4.8 per gill net · surveyed 2023
Underrated freshwater drum lakes under 1,000 acres
Smaller waters (100–999 acres) with standout survey numbers and lighter fishing pressure.
| # | Lake | County | Acres | Score | Catch rate | Keeper-size | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clear | Jackson | 434 | Excellent · 85 | 18.3per gill net | - | 2023 |
| 2 | Quamba | Kanabec | 226 | Excellent · 84 | 0.75per gill net | - | 2010 |
| 3 | Willmar | Kandiyohi | 636 | Excellent · 83 | 31.0per gill net | - | 2025 |
| 4 | Gorman | Le Sueur | 521 | Excellent · 77 | 20.3per gill net | - | 2025 |
| 5 | Big Twin | McLeod | 461 | Excellent · 77 | 7.3per gill net | - | 2024 |
| 6 | Sisseton | McLeod | 138 | Excellent · 77 | 49.5per gill net | - | 2023 |
| 7 | Long | Watonwan | 263 | Good · 74 | 25.0per gill net | - | 2022 |
| 8 | Budd | McLeod | 228 | Good · 74 | 43.0per gill net | - | 2024 |
| 9 | Okabena | Nobles | 776 | Good · 73 | 22.3per gill net | - | 2022 |
| 10 | Amber | McLeod | 182 | Good · 73 | 49.5per gill net | - | 2022 |
18.3 per gill net · surveyed 2023
0.75 per gill net · surveyed 2010
- 3. WillmarExcellent · 83
Kandiyohi County · 636 acres
31.0 per gill net · surveyed 2025
20.3 per gill net · surveyed 2025
- 5. Big TwinExcellent · 77
McLeod County · 461 acres
7.3 per gill net · surveyed 2024
- 6. SissetonExcellent · 77
McLeod County · 138 acres
49.5 per gill net · surveyed 2023
25.0 per gill net · surveyed 2022
43.0 per gill net · surveyed 2024
- 9. OkabenaGood · 73
Nobles County · 776 acres
22.3 per gill net · surveyed 2022
49.5 per gill net · surveyed 2022
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best freshwater drum lake in Minnesota?
Byllesby in Dakota County is the top-rated freshwater drum lake in Minnesota on FishGrade, scoring 87 out of 100 based on Minnesota DNR survey data. The latest DNR survey measured 18.1 freshwater drum per gill net. Among smaller waters, Clear in Jackson County (434 acres) tops the under-1,000-acre list with a score of 85.
How are these rankings calculated?
Each lake's 0-100 FishGrade score blends two signals from Minnesota DNR surveys: abundance, which compares the lake's catch rate to the DNR normal range for similar lakes using the survey gear that best samples freshwater drum, and size, the share of sampled fish reaching keeper size. To keep the list meaningful, the main rankings cover named lakes of at least 1,000 acres, and standout smaller lakes of 100+ acres are listed separately.
How current is this data?
Every ranking uses the most recent Minnesota DNR survey for each lake: survey dates for the ranked lakes run from 2009 to 2025, and 14 of 15 were surveyed within the last 7 years. The DNR resurveys most lakes on a 5-to-10-year cycle, and these rankings update as new surveys are published.