Best Golden Shiner Lakes in Minnesota
Top golden shiner lakes
1,062 Minnesota lakes have enough DNR survey data to earn a FishGrade score for golden shiner; 84 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 97. Across all 84 qualifying lakes the median score is 37.
See all 1,062 golden shiner lakes on the map| # | Lake | County | Acres | Score | Catch rate | Keeper-size | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Byllesby | Dakota | 1,368 | Excellent · 97 | 13.2per gill net | - | 1991 |
| 2 | Upper Red Lake | Beltrami | 119,294 | Excellent · 75 | 0.12per gill net | - | 1992 |
| 3 | Namakan | St. Louis | 24,066 | Excellent · 75 | 0.1per gill net | - | 2001 |
| 4 | Hanska | Brown | 1,795 | Good · 71 | 1.6per gill net | - | 2006 |
| 5 | Wolf | Becker | 1,460 | Good · 69 | 2.6per gill net | - | 2009 |
| 6 | East Rush | Chisago | 1,494 | Good · 63 | 0.83per gill net | - | 2023 |
| 7 | Pelican | Grant | 3,761 | Good · 57 | 0.58per gill net | - | 2025 |
| 8 | Elizabeth (Main Lake) | Kandiyohi | 1,023 | Good · 57 | 0.67per gill net | - | 2022 |
| 9 | Bald Eagle | Ramsey | 1,049 | Good · 56 | 0.42per gill net | - | 2022 |
| 10 | Wabana | Itasca | 2,221 | Good · 55 | 0.2per gill net | - | 2000 |
| 11 | North Turtle | Otter Tail | 1,773 | Good · 55 | 1.3per gill net | - | 2020 |
| 12 | Knife | Kanabec | 1,259 | Good · 55 | 0.25per gill net | - | 2025 |
| 13 | Grand | St. Louis | 1,665 | Good · 54 | 0.33per gill net | - | 2015 |
| 14 | Roosevelt | Cass | 1,511 | Good · 54 | 0.13per gill net | - | 1985 |
| 15 | Christina | Douglas | 3,971 | Good · 53 | 0.11per gill net | - | 1995 |
- 1. ByllesbyExcellent · 97
Dakota County · 1,368 acres
13.2 per gill net · surveyed 1991
- 2. Upper Red LakeExcellent · 75
Beltrami County · 119,294 acres
0.12 per gill net · surveyed 1992
- 3. NamakanExcellent · 75
St. Louis County · 24,066 acres
0.1 per gill net · surveyed 2001
1.6 per gill net · surveyed 2006
2.6 per gill net · surveyed 2009
- 6. East RushGood · 63
Chisago County · 1,494 acres
0.83 per gill net · surveyed 2023
- 7. PelicanGood · 57
Grant County · 3,761 acres
0.58 per gill net · surveyed 2025
- 8. Elizabeth (Main Lake)Good · 57
Kandiyohi County · 1,023 acres
0.67 per gill net · surveyed 2022
- 9. Bald EagleGood · 56
Ramsey County · 1,049 acres
0.42 per gill net · surveyed 2022
- 10. WabanaGood · 55
Itasca County · 2,221 acres
0.2 per gill net · surveyed 2000
- 11. North TurtleGood · 55
Otter Tail County · 1,773 acres
1.3 per gill net · surveyed 2020
0.25 per gill net · surveyed 2025
0.33 per gill net · surveyed 2015
- 14. RooseveltGood · 54
Cass County · 1,511 acres
0.13 per gill net · surveyed 1985
- 15. ChristinaGood · 53
Douglas County · 3,971 acres
0.11 per gill net · surveyed 1995
Underrated golden shiner 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 | Shoal | Itasca | 676 | Excellent · 100 | 14.0per gill net | - | 1988 |
| 2 | Youngstrom | Meeker | 153 | Excellent · 100 | 4.0per gill net | - | 1987 |
| 3 | Cedar | Scott | 793 | Excellent · 90 | 5.8per gill net | - | 2021 |
| 4 | Knaus | Stearns | 216 | Excellent · 90 | 10.0per gill net | - | 1985 |
| 5 | Bryant | Hennepin | 180 | Excellent · 90 | 6.2per gill net | - | 1999 |
| 6 | Spider | Cass | 145 | Excellent · 90 | 43.5per gill net | - | 1978 |
| 7 | Cleary | Scott | 145 | Excellent · 90 | 66.0per gill net | - | 2017 |
| 8 | Bolfing | Stearns | 109 | Excellent · 90 | 8.0per gill net | - | 1985 |
| 9 | Thole | Scott | 119 | Excellent · 88 | 12.0per gill net | - | 2023 |
| 10 | French | Wright | 346 | Excellent · 87 | 3.3per gill net | - | 2025 |
14.0 per gill net · surveyed 1988
- 2. YoungstromExcellent · 100
Meeker County · 153 acres
4.0 per gill net · surveyed 1987
5.8 per gill net · surveyed 2021
10.0 per gill net · surveyed 1985
6.2 per gill net · surveyed 1999
43.5 per gill net · surveyed 1978
66.0 per gill net · surveyed 2017
- 8. BolfingExcellent · 90
Stearns County · 109 acres
8.0 per gill net · surveyed 1985
12.0 per gill net · surveyed 2023
- 10. FrenchExcellent · 87
Wright County · 346 acres
3.3 per gill net · surveyed 2025
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best golden shiner lake in Minnesota?
Byllesby in Dakota County is the top-rated golden shiner lake in Minnesota on FishGrade, scoring 97 out of 100 based on Minnesota DNR survey data. The latest DNR survey measured 13.2 golden shiner per gill net. Among smaller waters, Shoal in Itasca County (676 acres) tops the under-1,000-acre list with a score of 100.
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 golden shiner, 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 1985 to 2025, and 6 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.