Best Shorthead Redhorse Lakes in Minnesota
Top shorthead redhorse lakes
386 Minnesota lakes have enough DNR survey data to earn a FishGrade score for shorthead redhorse; 113 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. Koronis (main lake) leads at 90. Across all 113 qualifying lakes the median score is 51.
See all 386 shorthead redhorse lakes on the map| # | Lake | County | Acres | Score | Catch rate | Keeper-size | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Koronis (main lake) | Stearns | 2,968 | Excellent · 90 | 2.0per gill net | - | 2024 |
| 2 | Whitefish | Crow Wing | 7,714 | Excellent · 88 | 1.5per gill net | - | 2024 |
| 3 | Carlos | Douglas | 2,605 | Excellent · 87 | 2.8per gill net | - | 2024 |
| 4 | Big Rice | Cass | 2,030 | Excellent · 87 | 0.83per gill net | - | 1989 |
| 5 | Rice | Stearns | 1,513 | Excellent · 87 | 6.0per gill net | - | 2024 |
| 6 | Knife | Kanabec | 1,259 | Excellent · 85 | 7.6per gill net | - | 2025 |
| 7 | Byllesby | Dakota | 1,368 | Excellent · 82 | 3.6per gill net | - | 2023 |
| 8 | Traverse | Traverse | 10,849 | Excellent · 80 | 4.5per gill net | - | 2025 |
| 9 | Sand | Itasca | 3,579 | Excellent · 78 | 1.5per gill net | - | 2023 |
| 10 | Pepin | Goodhue | 12,299 | Excellent · 77 | 2.6per gill net | - | 2023 |
| 11 | St. Louis River Estuary | St. Louis | 10,255 | Excellent · 75 | 4.2per gill net | - | 2025 |
| 12 | Lake of the Woods | Lake of the Woods | 725,583 | Good · 74 | 0.94per gill net | - | 2025 |
| 13 | Big Sandy | Aitkin | 6,125 | Good · 74 | 2.8per gill net | - | 2023 |
| 14 | Little Pine | Otter Tail | 2,080 | Good · 73 | 0.67per gill net | - | 2023 |
| 15 | Wolf | Beltrami | 1,076 | Good · 72 | 1.1per gill net | - | 2019 |
- 1. Koronis (main lake)Excellent · 90
Stearns County · 2,968 acres
2.0 per gill net · surveyed 2024
- 2. WhitefishExcellent · 88
Crow Wing County · 7,714 acres
1.5 per gill net · surveyed 2024
2.8 per gill net · surveyed 2024
- 4. Big RiceExcellent · 87
Cass County · 2,030 acres
0.83 per gill net · surveyed 1989
6.0 per gill net · surveyed 2024
7.6 per gill net · surveyed 2025
- 7. ByllesbyExcellent · 82
Dakota County · 1,368 acres
3.6 per gill net · surveyed 2023
- 8. TraverseExcellent · 80
Traverse County · 10,849 acres
4.5 per gill net · surveyed 2025
1.5 per gill net · surveyed 2023
2.6 per gill net · surveyed 2023
- 11. St. Louis River EstuaryExcellent · 75
St. Louis County · 10,255 acres
4.2 per gill net · surveyed 2025
- 12. Lake of the WoodsGood · 74
Lake of the Woods County · 725,583 acres
0.94 per gill net · surveyed 2025
- 13. Big SandyGood · 74
Aitkin County · 6,125 acres
2.8 per gill net · surveyed 2023
- 14. Little PineGood · 73
Otter Tail County · 2,080 acres
0.67 per gill net · surveyed 2023
1.1 per gill net · surveyed 2019
Underrated shorthead redhorse 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 | U.S. Lock & Dam #1 Pool | Hennepin | 471 | Excellent · 100 | 2.3per gill net | - | 2022 |
| 2 | Rice | Otter Tail | 326 | Excellent · 100 | 3.0per gill net | - | 1988 |
| 3 | Horse | Lake | 715 | Excellent · 91 | 2.9per gill net | - | 1991 |
| 4 | Zumbro | Olmsted | 715 | Excellent · 88 | 4.5per gill net | - | 2021 |
| 5 | Astrid | St. Louis | 120 | Excellent · 87 | 0.67per gill net | - | 2021 |
| 6 | Cedar Island | Stearns | 986 | Excellent · 84 | 0.75per gill net | - | 2024 |
| 7 | Clearwater | Beltrami | 999 | Excellent · 83 | 2.4per gill net | - | 2023 |
| 8 | Great Northern | Stearns | 196 | Excellent · 83 | 8.5per gill net | - | 2024 |
| 9 | Horseshoe | Stearns | 629 | Excellent · 81 | 2.9per gill net | - | 2024 |
| 10 | Mitchell | Sherburne | 170 | Excellent · 80 | 2.3per gill net | - | 1973 |
- 1. U.S. Lock & Dam #1 PoolExcellent · 100
Hennepin County · 471 acres
2.3 per gill net · surveyed 2022
- 2. RiceExcellent · 100
Otter Tail County · 326 acres
3.0 per gill net · surveyed 1988
2.9 per gill net · surveyed 1991
4.5 per gill net · surveyed 2021
0.67 per gill net · surveyed 2021
- 6. Cedar IslandExcellent · 84
Stearns County · 986 acres
0.75 per gill net · surveyed 2024
- 7. ClearwaterExcellent · 83
Beltrami County · 999 acres
2.4 per gill net · surveyed 2023
- 8. Great NorthernExcellent · 83
Stearns County · 196 acres
8.5 per gill net · surveyed 2024
- 9. HorseshoeExcellent · 81
Stearns County · 629 acres
2.9 per gill net · surveyed 2024
- 10. MitchellExcellent · 80
Sherburne County · 170 acres
2.3 per gill net · surveyed 1973
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best shorthead redhorse lake in Minnesota?
Koronis (main lake) in Stearns County is the top-rated shorthead redhorse lake in Minnesota on FishGrade, scoring 90 out of 100 based on Minnesota DNR survey data. The latest DNR survey measured 2.0 shorthead redhorse per gill net. Among smaller waters, U.S. Lock & Dam #1 Pool in Hennepin County (471 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 shorthead redhorse, 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 1989 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.