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Best brown bullhead lakes in Minnesota

2031 Minnesota waters list brown bullhead (official records or labelled estimates), 1530 mapped with survey or official-chart depth data. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality, leading with the waters in our reviewed search catalog — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. Night-feeding catfish of weedy, mud-bottomed lakes — the classic after-dark shoreline bite across the east and Canada.

1. Lake of the Woods — 36 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern PikeWhy #1: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 9 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
2. Leech Lake — 135 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 12 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
3. Big Stone Lake — 15 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern PikeWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 8 public access sites
4. Mille Lacs Lake — 40 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 13 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
5. Lake Vermilion — 70 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 15 public access sites
6. Lake Pepin — 50 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
7. Lake Winnibigoshish — 70 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 8 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
8. Namakan Lake — 150 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, SaugerWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
9. Traverse — 10 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
10. Upper Red Lake — 15 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #10: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 2 public access sites
11. Cass Lake — 120 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites, 3 carry-in or shore-oriented
12. Lake Minnetonka — 100 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 10 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
13. Pokegama Lake — 110 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 8 public access sites
14. Lac qui Parle Lake — 10 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 7 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
15. Gull Lake — 80 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
16. Otter Tail Lake — 120 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
17. Sand Point Lake — 180 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, SaugerWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
18. Dead — 60 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
19. Pelican — 35 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites
20. Lake Minnewaska — 30 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
21. Lake Osakis — 60 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
22. Bowstring — 30 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
23. Lake Shetek — 10 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 8 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
24. Island Lake Rsvr(W.Basin) — 70 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
25. Pelican Lake (Otter Tail) — 100 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented

…plus 2006 more Minnesota waters holding brown bullhead.

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When to fish brown bullhead in Minnesota

• Spring 2–8 ft — First warm rains pull bullheads into black-bottomed bays and creek mouths — the classic spring shore bite.
• Summer 3–12 ft — Day fish hold on deeper mud and weed edges; after dark they spread across the shallows to feed by smell.
• Fall 5–15 ft — Fish slide toward deeper soft bottoms as the shallows cool — the evening bite shortens with the days.
• Winter 10–25 ft — Bullheads pod up half-dormant in the deepest mud basins; a long soak with bait on bottom is the lone play.

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