← Minnesota fishing maps

Best freshwater drum lakes in Minnesota

150 Minnesota waters hold freshwater drum, 112 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 hardest-pulling fish nobody brags about. Roams current seams and mussel beds — bites all day.

1. Big Stone Lake — 15 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern PikeWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 8 public access sites
2. Lake Pepin — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern PikeWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
3. Traverse — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
4. Lac qui Parle Lake — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 7 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
5. St. Croix River — 78 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #5: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 7 public access sites
6. Elysian — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern PikeWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
7. Maple — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
8. Artichoke — 11 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern PikeWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
9. Big Pine — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
10. Zumbro — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
11. Minnesota River — 11 ft max · Walleye, White Bass, Channel Catfish, Flathead CatfishWhy #11: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 10 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
12. St. Louis River Estuary — 55 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #12: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 9 public access sites
13. Emily — 3 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern PikeWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
14. North Lida — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
15. Hanska — 16 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #15: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
16. Lake Byllesby — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
17. Norway — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
18. Cross — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
19. St. Croix River — 15 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish, MuskellungeWhy #19: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 2 public access sites
20. Cannon — 15 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern PikeWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
21. Marsh — 5 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern PikeWhy #21: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
22. West Rush — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
23. Pomme de Terre — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
24. Mississippi River Pool 8 (La Crosse) — 39 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, SaugerWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
25. Chippewa — 90 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site

…plus 125 more Minnesota waters holding freshwater drum.

Find the closest freshwater drum waters to you →

When to fish freshwater drum in Minnesota

• Spring 5–20 ft — Big spring runs into current — gravel bars and creek mouths.
• Summer 8–30 ft — Channel edges and mussel beds; drum feed by ear — a dragging bait gets found.
• Fall 10–35 ft — Schools slide toward deep holes; slow bottom presentations.
• Winter 15–45 ft — Deep and slow.

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 common carp lakes · best longnose gar lakes · best lake trout lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook 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

Freshwater Drum elsewhere: Ontario · Wisconsin · Québec · Michigan · New York · Indiana · North Dakota · Iowa · Texas · Ohio · Nebraska · Missouri · South Dakota · Illinois · Kansas · Kentucky · Tennessee · Louisiana