Lakes / Minnesota / Fish Species
Fish Species in Minnesota Lakes
77 species appear in the DNR records of at least 8 counted lakes. Pick a species to see every counted lake where the DNR lists it, with the largest lakes first.
Northern Pike (3017)Yellow Perch (2800)Bluegill (2558)Black Crappie (2363)White Sucker (2225)Pumpkinseed (2141)Largemouth Bass (2071)Walleye (1977)Yellow Bullhead (1581)Hybrid Sunfish (1473)Black Bullhead (1371)Brown Bullhead (1267)Rock Bass (1042)Bowfin (869)Golden Shiner (696)Green Sunfish (661)Common Carp (653)Smallmouth Bass (520)Cisco (402)Shorthead Redhorse (210)Bigmouth Buffalo (188)Channel Catfish (167)White Crappie (136)Freshwater Drum (124)Fathead Minnow (120)Burbot (117)Common Shiner (109)Blacknose Shiner (109)Johnny Darter (107)Lake Trout (102)Lake Whitefish (96)Tadpole Madtom (95)Brook Trout (87)Iowa Darter (79)Muskellunge (73)Orangespotted Sunfish (73)Rainbow Trout (73)Silver Redhorse (63)Bluntnose Minnow (63)Central Mudminnow (62)Brook Stickleback (55)Spottail Shiner (53)White Bass (48)Greater Redhorse (46)Creek Chub (44)Splake (41)Golden Redhorse (39)Northern Redbelly Dace (37)Blackchin Shiner (36)Quillback (35)Finescale Dace (35)Banded Killifish (25)Emerald Shiner (24)Sunfish (23)Pearl Dace (20)Logperch (19)Bullheads (19)Rainbow Smelt (18)Lake Sturgeon (17)Sauger (17)Redhorse (17)Shortnose Gar (17)Brown Trout (17)Brook Silverside (16)Tiger Muskellunge (16)Gizzard Shad (13)Spotfin Shiner (12)Minnows (12)Longnose Gar (11)Blacknose Dace (11)Mimic Shiner (10)Mottled Sculpin (10)River Carpsucker (10)Smallmouth Buffalo (10)Trout-Perch (9)Longear Sunfish (9)River Redhorse (9)
Source: Minnesota DNR lake data. Verified October 30, 2026.