Best White Sucker Lakes in Minnesota
Top white sucker lakes
2,915 Minnesota lakes have enough DNR survey data to earn a FishGrade score for white sucker; 287 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. Big Rice leads at 99. Across all 287 qualifying lakes the median score is 50.
See all 2,915 white sucker lakes on the map| # | Lake | County | Acres | Score | Catch rate | Keeper-size | Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Rice | St. Louis | 1,917 | Excellent · 99 | 5.5per gill net | - | 1982 |
| 2 | Prairie | Otter Tail | 1,004 | Excellent · 89 | 11.9per gill net | - | 2019 |
| 3 | Ensign | Lake | 1,411 | Excellent · 83 | 7.6per gill net | - | 2023 |
| 4 | Lake of the Woods | Lake of the Woods | 725,583 | Excellent · 82 | 2.7per gill net | - | 2025 |
| 5 | Fish Lake Flowage | St. Louis | 3,259 | Excellent · 82 | 8.8per gill net | - | 2025 |
| 6 | Greenwood | Cook | 2,043 | Excellent · 82 | 6.8per gill net | - | 1990 |
| 7 | Big | St. Louis | 1,904 | Excellent · 82 | 18.7per gill net | - | 2019 |
| 8 | Shagawa | St. Louis | 2,345 | Excellent · 81 | 10.4per gill net | - | 2022 |
| 9 | Rice | Stearns | 1,513 | Excellent · 80 | 11.5per gill net | - | 2024 |
| 10 | Johnson | St. Louis | 1,736 | Excellent · 79 | 6.0per gill net | - | 2022 |
| 11 | Blackduck | Beltrami | 2,711 | Excellent · 77 | 4.5per gill net | - | 2024 |
| 12 | Sauk | Todd | 2,126 | Excellent · 77 | 7.7per gill net | - | 2023 |
| 13 | South | Cook | 1,145 | Excellent · 77 | 8.2per gill net | - | 1978 |
| 14 | Lac Qui Parle | Lac qui Parle | 5,741 | Excellent · 75 | 7.6per gill net | - | 2025 |
| 15 | Byllesby | Dakota | 1,368 | Excellent · 75 | 9.0per gill net | - | 2023 |
- 1. Big RiceExcellent · 99
St. Louis County · 1,917 acres
5.5 per gill net · surveyed 1982
- 2. PrairieExcellent · 89
Otter Tail County · 1,004 acres
11.9 per gill net · surveyed 2019
7.6 per gill net · surveyed 2023
- 4. Lake of the WoodsExcellent · 82
Lake of the Woods County · 725,583 acres
2.7 per gill net · surveyed 2025
- 5. Fish Lake FlowageExcellent · 82
St. Louis County · 3,259 acres
8.8 per gill net · surveyed 2025
- 6. GreenwoodExcellent · 82
Cook County · 2,043 acres
6.8 per gill net · surveyed 1990
18.7 per gill net · surveyed 2019
- 8. ShagawaExcellent · 81
St. Louis County · 2,345 acres
10.4 per gill net · surveyed 2022
11.5 per gill net · surveyed 2024
- 10. JohnsonExcellent · 79
St. Louis County · 1,736 acres
6.0 per gill net · surveyed 2022
- 11. BlackduckExcellent · 77
Beltrami County · 2,711 acres
4.5 per gill net · surveyed 2024
7.7 per gill net · surveyed 2023
8.2 per gill net · surveyed 1978
- 14. Lac Qui ParleExcellent · 75
Lac qui Parle County · 5,741 acres
7.6 per gill net · surveyed 2025
- 15. ByllesbyExcellent · 75
Dakota County · 1,368 acres
9.0 per gill net · surveyed 2023
Underrated white sucker 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 | 8.0per gill net | - | 1988 |
| 2 | Rice | Otter Tail | 326 | Excellent · 100 | 9.0per gill net | - | 1988 |
| 3 | Mora | Cook | 210 | Excellent · 100 | 7.0per gill net | - | 1987 |
| 4 | Westport | Pope | 203 | Excellent · 100 | 15.0per gill net | - | 2022 |
| 5 | Pelkey | Morrison | 104 | Excellent · 100 | 19.5per gill net | - | 1991 |
| 6 | Morgan | St. Louis | 104 | Excellent · 100 | 10.5per gill net | - | 1993 |
| 7 | Silver Crk Reservoir SR-2 | Olmsted | 107 | Excellent · 99 | 6.0per gill net | - | 2008 |
| 8 | Carol | Lake | 105 | Excellent · 99 | 5.3per gill net | - | 1979 |
| 9 | Rush | Jackson | 243 | Excellent · 96 | 4.0per gill net | - | 2007 |
| 10 | Lower Lawrence | Itasca | 152 | Excellent · 96 | 4.0per gill net | - | 1974 |
8.0 per gill net · surveyed 1988
- 2. RiceExcellent · 100
Otter Tail County · 326 acres
9.0 per gill net · surveyed 1988
7.0 per gill net · surveyed 1987
- 4. WestportExcellent · 100
Pope County · 203 acres
15.0 per gill net · surveyed 2022
19.5 per gill net · surveyed 1991
10.5 per gill net · surveyed 1993
- 7. Silver Crk Reservoir SR-2Excellent · 99
Olmsted County · 107 acres
6.0 per gill net · surveyed 2008
5.3 per gill net · surveyed 1979
4.0 per gill net · surveyed 2007
- 10. Lower LawrenceExcellent · 96
Itasca County · 152 acres
4.0 per gill net · surveyed 1974
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best white sucker lake in Minnesota?
Big Rice in St. Louis County is the top-rated white sucker lake in Minnesota on FishGrade, scoring 99 out of 100 based on Minnesota DNR survey data. The latest DNR survey measured 5.5 white sucker 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 white sucker, 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 1978 to 2025, and 12 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.
Which counties have the best white sucker fishing?
St. Louis County and Cook County lead this list, holding 7 of the top 15 white sucker lakes in Minnesota between them.