Many of the area lakes have panfish such as crappie, perch and bluegill. You will most likely have to sort through many smaller ones to find enough bigger panfish for a meal, but there are several lakes up here that offer some good fishing for panfish.
Amelia Lake (Douglas County, MN)
Lake Amelia is a 910-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located 4 miles northeast of Glenwood in Pope County. It is the lower basin in a chain of three lakes (Leven, Villard, Amelia). Lake Amelia is managed for walleye and there is a good population of walleye in this lake. Northern pike and largemouth bass are abundant in this lake. You can also catch bluegill, crappie, perch and rock bass.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Chippewa Lake (Douglas County, MN)
Chippewa Lake is a relatively large, mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located northeast of Brandon in Douglas County. This lake is moderately clear with clarity exceeding 10 feet during the summer months. This lake is managed for walleye. The fishing is good for walleye with good numbers of fish and some big walleye are also available. Northern pike, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill and perch round out the fishery here. Northern pike and largemouth bass are available in catchable numbers and some big fish of both species are present in the lake.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Crooked Lake (Douglas County, MN)
Crooked Lake is a lightly developed, 153-acre basin located about eight miles west of Alexandria in Douglas County. This lake is typical of other lakes that are small and densely vegetated in this part of Minnesota. Anglers target largemouth bass, northern pike, crappie and bluegill in this lake.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Gilbert Lake (Douglas County, MN)
Gilbert Lake is a small, shallow basin located approximately 9 miles west of Alexandria. Water quality is poor due to nutrient enrichment. This lake is more of a bullhead and carp lake with some walleye, largemouth bass, crappie and northern pike available.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Grill Lake (Douglas County, MN)
Grill Lake is a small, shallow, and lightly developed lake that is located about eight miles southwest of Alexandria in Douglas County. There is no public access to this lake, but small fishing boats can access through a shallow channel on the northeast shore of Mill Lake. Grill Lake is thought to provide spawning and nursery habitat for Mill Lake. Largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill and crappie are the dominant species of fish that anglers target in this lake. Walleye do move in and out of this lake, but don’t expect to find good numbers of them here.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lake Aaron (Douglas County, MN)
Lake Aaron is a shallow, fertile basin located just west of Millerville in northern Douglas County. The maximum depth is 16 feet. This lake is managed primarily as a bass lake with walleye being secondary. Largemouth bass are abundant in the lake and there are some big bass here as well. Smallmouth bass are also in Lake Aaron, but they are not very common. Northern pike do well in this lake. There are good numbers of pike to go along with some big pike too. Bluegill, crappie, perch and rock bass are also available.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lake Agnes (Douglas County, MN)
Lake Agnes, along with Lakes Henry and Winona, comprise a chain of lakes within the city limits of Alexandria. Lakes Agnes and Henry are broadly connected basins with a common “narrows” on the north side of Lake Agnes and south side of Lake Henry. A 200-foot long sand and rock bar separates the two basins. This bar is one to two feet under the water surface during normal water levels.
The fishing has been good on this lake in the past, however, there was a partial fish kill in 2011. The lake is going through a recovery period and is expected to rebound over the next couple of years. There are still catchable numbers of northern pike in this lake, but the fishing is not what it has been like for largemouth bass, walleye, bluegill, crappie and perch. It’s going to take some time for the fish populations to rebound.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lake Andrew (Douglas County, MN)
Lake Andrew is a 918-acre, moderately fertile basin located immediately south of Alexandria. It is a relatively deep lake with a maximum depth of 83 feet. This lake is a popular lake among anglers and recreational boaters. This lake offers good fishing for a variety of fish such as walleye, northern pike, largemouth bass, crappie and bluegill. Yellow perch are also available, but most of these fish are fairly small.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lake Anka (Douglas County, MN)
Lake Anka is open to fishing, however there is no public access. Boats must enter the lake through a channel from Lake Christina. Anglers target northern pike, sunfish and perch in this lake.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lake Brophy (Alexandria Chain of Lakes)
Lake Brophy is part of the Alexandria Chain of Lakes. This lake is a small, 289-acre lake located five miles west of Alexandria. A DNR public access is located on the northwest shoreline. The outlet on the northeast shoreline flows through a chain of smaller lakes and eventually into Lake Cowdry and these channels are navigable by small boats. This lake doesn’t produce too many big fish, but there are good populations of game fish here, so you can definitely catch northern pike, largemouth bass and walleye to go along with an abundant bluegill population. Other fish include crappie, perch and rock bass.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lake Carlos (Alexandria Chain of Lakes)
Lake Carlos is part of the Alexandria Chain of Lakes. It is a 2,520-acre basin located about 4 miles north of Alexandria. Lake Carlos is the largest and deepest lake within the Alexandria Chain of Lakes with a maximum depth of 163 feet. This lake is very popular among boaters and anglers. Fishing is very good for northern pike, largemouth bass, walleye, bluegill and crappie. Other fish include rock bass, perch, bullhead and some other species of fish.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lake Cowdry (Alexandria Chain of Lakes)
Lake Cowdry is part of the Alexandria Chain of Lakes. It is a 238-acre lake located about 3 miles west of Alexandria. The lake is connected to lakes both upstream and downstream, but navigation is restricted to small boats. This lake’s habitat is best suited for largemouth bass, northern pike and sunfish. Other fish include walleye, perch, rock bas and crappie.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lake Darling (Alexandria Chain of Lakes)
Lake Darling is part of the Alexandria Chain of Lakes. Lake Darling is a 945-acre basin located on the northwest edge of the city of Alexandria. There is no public access on Lake Darling, but boaters can gain access via a navigable channel from Lake Carlos. Fishing is good on this lake for northern pike, largemouth bass and bluegill. Other fish include walleye, rock bass, perch and crappie.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lake Geneva (Alexandria Chain of Lakes)
Lake Geneva is part of the Alexandria Chain of Lakes. Lake Geneva is a 631 acre lake located on the eastern edge of the city of Alexandria. Boaters can access other lakes within the chain via navigable channels and there are two public access points on the shoreline of this lake. The access on the east shoreline is steep and may be difficult for some to use. There are good numbers of a variety of fish in Lake Geneva. Northern pike, largemouth bass, walleye, bluegill and crappie are the main species of fish that anglers target here. Other fish include smallmouth bass, perch, rock bass, bullhead and some others.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lake Henry (Douglas County, MN)
Lake Henry, along with Lakes Agnes and Winona, comprise a chain of lakes within the city limits of Alexandria. Lakes Agnes and Henry are broadly connected basins with a common “narrows” on the north side of Lake Agnes and south side of Lake Henry. A 200-foot long sand and rock bar separates the two basins. This bar is one to two feet under the water surface during normal water levels.
The fishing has been good on this lake in the past, however, there was a partial fish kill in 2011. The lake is going through a recovery period and is expected to rebound over the next couple of years. There are still catchable numbers of northern pike in this lake, but the fishing is not what it has been like for largemouth bass, walleye, bluegill, crappie and perch. It’s going to take some time for the fish populations to rebound.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lake Ida (Douglas County, MN)
Lake Ida is a large (4,427 acres), moderately fertile lake located northwest of Alexandria. Maximum depth exceeds 100 feet with a mean depth of around 28 feet deep. Lake Ida is connected to Lake Miltona to the north and Lake Charley to the south via non-navigable channels. Lake Ida is managed for walleye and the walleye fishery is very good here. This lake also offers good fishing for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, crappie and bluegill. Perch and rock bass are available too.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lake Irene (Douglas County, MN)
Lake Irene is a 630-acre, mesotrophic (moderately fertile) bass-panfish lake located approximately one mile northwest of Miltona in Douglas County. Two public accesses are located on the northwest shore off of NW Irene Road and on the southeast shore off County Road 64. Fish include walleye, northern pike, largemouth bass, bluegill, perch and other species of fish.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lake Jessie (Alexandria Chain of Lakes)
Lake Jessie is part of the Alexandria Chain of Lakes. Lake Jessie is a small 105-acre lake located with no public access on the lake. Fishing boats can enter the lake through a channel from Lake Victoria. The fishing is typical of most smaller, densely vegetated lakes in Minnesota. Fishing is good for largemouth bass, northern pike, crappie and bluegill. Other fish include walleye, perch, bullhead and some other species of fish.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lake Latoka (Douglas County, MN)
Lake Latoka is a 776-acre lake located about four miles west of Alexandria. This is a deep, clear water lake with habitat best suited for northern pike, walleye and bluegill. This lake is popular among anglers and boaters. Lake Latoka currently has an abundance of smaller northern pike in the lake to go along with a good largemouth bass population. The walleye population is low right now, but the fish that are in the lake are better quality fish with some very big walleye. Other fish include bluegill, crappie, rock bass, perch and others.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lake Le Homme Dieu (Alexandria Chain of Lakes)
Lake Le Homme Dieu is part of the Alexandria Chain of Lakes. It is an 1,800-acre basin located on the northeast city limit of Alexandria. Navigable connections exist to Lake Carlos and Lake Geneva. This lake is a popular lake among boaters and anglers. The fishing is very good on this lake for a variety of fish; especially largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, crappie and bluegill. Other fish include perch, rock bass, bullhead and others.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lake Louise (Douglas County, MN)
Lake Louise is a small (215 acres), moderately developed basin located northwest of Alexandria in Douglas County. Water quality and clarity are good. Northern pike, largemouth bass, perch and bluegill are here in good numbers, although, most fish will be in the small to medium size range. Walleye and crappie are also available, but they are not as abundant.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lake Mary (Douglas County, MN)
Lake Mary is a large, heavily developed recreational lake located southwest of Alexandria, MN in Douglas County. The excellent fishery and numerous resorts attract many tourists during the summer months and it is also very popular among local anglers. There are two public access points on the lake, although, the access located on the north shore is relatively shallow and is not conducive to launching larger boats, especially during years with lower water levels. The fishing is good in this lake for a variety of species. It is known as a good walleye lake, but you can also catch largemouth bass, northern pike, crappie, bluegill and perch.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lake Miltona (Douglas County, MN)
Lake Miltona is a large (5,724 acres), moderately fertile lake that is located north of Alexandria between the towns of Miltona and Leaf Valley. Its maximum depth exceeds 100 feet, although, almost half of this lake is 15 feet or less in depth. The muskie fishing is what stands out most about Lake Miltona because most of the area lakes do not have muskie available. Muskie up to and above 50 inches are possible on Lake Miltona. Other species of fish that anglers target are largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, black crappie and bluegill. Largemouth bass outnumber smallmouth bass, but there are good sized largemouth and smallmouth bass in this lake. Northern pike tend to run on the small side, but there are some fish available to catch here.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lake Mina (Douglas County, MN)
Lake Mina is a deep, 424-acre lake that is located approximately four miles west of Alexandria. The maximum depth is 123 feet. The habitat in Lake Mina is best suited for largemouth bass, sunfish and northern pike. Walleye, crappie, perch and rock bass are also available in this lake. Walleye may not be in here in great numbers, but of the ones that are in this lake, a good percentage of them are quality sized fish. There are some good sized northern pike in this lake also.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lake Minnewaska (Pope County, MN)
Lake Minnewaska is a 7,110-acre lake located in central Pope County between Glenwood and Starbuck. For its size, this lake is relatively shallow with a maximum depth of 32 feet. It is the largest lake in the county and it is a popular lake for boaters and anglers. This lake is managed for walleye, but the lake supports a very diverse fishery. Other fish include northern pike, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, perch and crappie.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lake Moses (Douglas County, MN)
Lake Moses is an 822-acre lake located approximately one mile west of Millerville in northwest Douglas County. This lake has an abundance of emergent vegetation and a well defined weedline. The water is very clear and you can see in excess of 15 feet under normal conditions. The fishing is good on Lake Moses for northern pike, largemouth bass, rock bass and bluegill. Other fish include walleye, crappie, perch and smallmouth bass.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lake Osakis
Lake Osakis is rated as one of the top fishing lakes in the state. This lake has a healthy population of walleye, northern pike, largemouth bass, crappie and some smallmouth bass. The lake has plenty of resorts and lodges, boat rentals, gift shops and restaurants to make your trip more comfortable. The lake is located only a couple of hours from Minneapolis which makes it an ideal place for people looking to getaway for the weekend.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lake Oscar (Douglas County, MN)
Lake Oscar is a shallow, 1,040-acre basin located west of Holmes City in southwestern Douglas County. This lake has a maximum depth around 20 feet. Lake Oscar’s primary management is for walleye, but muskie and sunfish are of secondary importance. Fish in this lake include walleye, muskie, northern pike, largemouth bass, bluegill, perch and other species of fish.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lake Reno (Pope County, MN)
Lake Reno is a 3,722-acre, highly productive lake located between Glenwood and Alexandria. It is the second largest lake in Pope County and public accesses are located on northeast and southwest shorelines of the lake. This lake has a good amount of walleye, yellow perch and largemouth bass to go along with bluegill, crappie, northern pike and rock bass.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lake Victoria (Alexandria Chain of Lakes)
Lake Victoria is part of the Alexandria Chain of Lakes. Lake Victoria is a 419 acre, horseshoe-shaped basin located on the eastern city limits of Alexandria. There are navigable channels that connect to Lake Geneva and Lake Jessie. These connecting channels are shallow and could be problematic for deep draught boats. This lake offers good fishing for largemouth bass, walleye, northern pike, crappie and bluegill. Other fish include perch and rock bass.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lake Villard (Douglas County, MN)
Lake Villard is a 536-acre shallow, fertile basin located in northeast Pope County, just west of the town of Villard. This lake is the middle basin within a chain of three lakes (Leven, Villard, Amelia). This lake offers good fishing for largemouth bass, northern pike and sunfish. Other fish include walleye, crappie and yellow perch to go along with some other species of fish.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lake Winona (Douglas County, MN)
Lake Winona, along with Lakes Agnes and Henry, comprise a chain of lakes within the city limits of Alexandria. Lake Winona is located upstream and discharges to Agnes and Henry Lakes. Multiple road crossings prevent motorized navigation among the chain of lakes. Despite environmental limitations, Lake Winona continues to support a diverse and viable fishery. Fish include northern pike, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, walleye and perch.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Leven Lake (Douglas County, MN)
Leven Lake is a 283-acre eutrophic lake that is the upper basin forming a chain of three lakes (Leven, Villard, Amelia). This lake provides good fishing for northern pike, largemouth bass and bluegill. You can also catch walleye, crappie and perch in this lake.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lobster Lake (Douglas County, MN)
Lobster Lake is a 1300-acre, natural lake located about 5 miles west of Alexandria. The lake has a maximum depth of 65 feet with a mean depth of 15 feet. This lake has many points, arms and bays which give anglers lots of options when fishing here. The water is moderately clear with 10 feet of visibility being common. The main species of fish on this lake are largemouth bass, northern pike, crappie and bluegill. Muskie and walleye are also stocked in Lobster Lake. Perch, rock bass and bullhead are also in the lake.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lottie (Taylor) Lake (Alexandria Chain of Lakes)
Lottie (Taylor) Lake is part of the Alexandria Chain of Lakes. There aren’t any access points on this lake, but anglers can utilize access sites on Cowdry and Brophy Lakes and navigate small watercraft throughout the chain of lakes via flowage channels. Large boats will be restricted by road crossings and undersized road culverts. Anglers target largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, perch, bluegill and crappie.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Maple Lake (Douglas County, MN)
Maple Lake is a mesotrophic (moderately fertile) basin located in southern Douglas County between Alexandria and Glenwood. It is connected to lakes Reno and Turtle via non-navigable culverts under State Highway 29. Maple Lake is moderate in size and relatively shallow. It has a maximum depth of 78 feet but almost half of the lake is less than 15 feet deep. Two public accesses are present on this lake. Largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, and crappie are all common in this lake, although, don’t expect to catch many trophy-sized fish. There are some big fish in this lake, but most of the game fish in Maple Lake do run on the smaller side.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Mill Lake (Douglas County, MN)
Mill Lake totals 461 acres and has a maximum depth of 40 feet. This lake is a good largemouth bass lake with lots of northern pike too. Panfish such as crappie, perch and bluegill are here too with some limited walleye as well.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
North Union Lake (Alexandria Chain of Lakes)
North Union Lake is part of the Alexandria Chain of Lakes. There aren’t any access points on this lake, but anglers can utilize access sites on Cowdry and Brophy Lakes and navigate small watercraft throughout the chain of lakes via flowage channels. Large boats will be restricted by road crossings and undersized road culverts. Anglers target largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, perch, bluegill and crappie.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Pelican Lake (Pope County, MN)
Pelican Lake is a moderately shallow, 519-acre lake located in central Pope County near the towns of Glenwood and Long Beach. The maximum depth is 34 feet and this lake is classified as a bass-panfish lake. There are good populations of largemouth bass and bluegill in this lake. Other fish include walleye, northern pike, crappie and perch.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Pocket Lake (Douglas County, MN)
Pocket Lake is a 275-acre natural lake located approximately 10 miles southwest of Alexandria. This lake has a maximum depth of 35 ft. According to the Minnesota DNR, the habitat in this lake is best suited for largemouth bass and panfishes. Fish in this lake include walleye, northern pike, largemouth bass, bluegill, perch and some other species of fish.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Pomme de Terre Lake (Grant County, MN)
Pomme de Terre Lake is a shallow, 1758-acre basin located on the Pomme de Terre River in Grant County. This lake is managed as a walleye fishery. Other fish include northern pike, largemouth bass, bluegill, perch, rock bass and other species of fish.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Red Rock Lake (Douglas County, MN)
Red Rock Lake is a shallow, fertile basin located in southwest Douglas County, near Kensington. Maximum depth is 22.0 feet. Mean depth is only 9.0 feet. According to the Minnesota DNR, Red Rock Lake is a very good lake for largemouth bass fishing. Other fish include walleye, northern pike, bluegill, perch and other species of fish.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Smith Lake (Douglas County, MN)
Smith Lake is a 575-acre lake that is located between Alexandria and Osakis. It has a maximum depth of 30 feet. This lake has many different species of fish to target. Walleye and northern pike are in here in catchable numbers with some big fish available. Crappie, bluegill and perch are abundant in this lake, but there aren’t very many bigger panfish in this lake. Largemouth bass are here as well.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Stony Lake (Alexandria Chain of Lakes)
Stony Lake is part of the Alexandria Chain of Lakes. There aren’t any access points on this lake, but anglers can utilize access sites on Cowdry and Brophy Lakes and navigate small watercraft throughout the chain of lakes via flowage channels. Large boats will be restricted by road crossings and undersized road culverts. Anglers target largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, perch, bluegill and crappie.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Turtle Lake (Douglas County, MN)
Turtle Lake is 220 acre lake located between Alexandria and Glenwood, west of State Highway 29 and Maple Lake. The maximum depth is 19 feet in this lake, but the western half of the lake is much shallower than the eastern part of the lake. The western half of the lake is less than 5 feet deep. Most anglers come here to fish for crappie and walleye. Currently, there are good numbers of both species of fish to go along with northern pike, largemouth bass and perch. Fish populations can fluctuate here from year to year in this lake. Bluegill and bullhead are also available in Turtle Lake.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
