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Best brook trout lakes in Minnesota

139 Minnesota waters hold brook trout, 10 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The native char of cold ponds and streams. Needs the coldest, cleanest water in the lake.

1. St. Louis River Estuary — 55 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #1: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 9 public access sites
2. Kabekona — 130 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
3. Greenwood — 100 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Lake TroutWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
4. Pike — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow PerchWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
5. Grindstone — 150 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
6. LaSalle — 210 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
7. South — 140 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook TroutWhy #7: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
8. Dyers — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, Crappie, Bluegill, Yellow PerchWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
9. Red Rock — 64 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow PerchWhy #9: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
10. High — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Bluegill, Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, SplakeWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
11. Gilbert Pit — 443 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #11: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
12. Camp A — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Brook TroutWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
13. Moss — 86 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Brook TroutWhy #13: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
14. Miner's Pit — 140 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, BluegillWhy #14: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 3 public access sites
15. Bog — 16 ft max · Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Brook TroutWhy #15: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
16. Balsam — 18 ft max · Brook TroutWhy #16: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
17. Kemo — 65 ft max · Lake Trout, Brook Trout, SplakeWhy #17: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
18. Pine — 34 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Bluegill, Rainbow TroutWhy #18: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
19. Morgan — 46 ft max · Northern Pike, Brook Trout, Splake, PumpkinseedWhy #19: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
20. Esther — 35 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout, SplakeWhy #20: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
21. Thunderbird — 18 ft max · Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Brook TroutWhy #21: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
22. Whitefish — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Brook TroutWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
23. Fay — 62 ft max · Lake Trout, Brook TroutWhy #23: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
24. Sullivan — 7 ft max · Northern Pike, Bluegill, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #24: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
25. Kremer — 86 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Brown TroutWhy #25: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached

…plus 114 more Minnesota waters holding brook trout.

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When to fish brook trout in Minnesota

• Spring 2–15 ft — Ice-out scatters brookies along shorelines and inflow mouths, feeding on the first insect activity.
• Summer 10–30 ft — Brookies hold where the coldest water is — spring holes, deep basin edges and inflow plumes.
• Fall 2–15 ft — Fall is the show: brilliant spawning colors on gravel shoals and inflow gravel.
• Winter 3–20 ft — A classic ice-fishing target — active all winter in shallow to mid-depth water.

Also in Minnesota: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best white bass lakes · best sauger lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best muskellunge lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best flathead catfish lakes · best freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes · best longnose gar lakes · best lake trout lakes · best brown trout lakes · best lake whitefish lakes · best burbot lakes · best rock bass lakes · best cisco (lake herring) lakes · best splake lakes · best pumpkinseed lakes · best brown bullhead lakes · best lake sturgeon lakes

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