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Best sauger lakes in Minnesota

39 Minnesota waters list sauger (official records or labelled estimates), 24 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. The river-running cousin of the walleye. Built for current and muddy water — channel edges, wing dams and the deep holes below every dam.

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. Rainy Lake — 161 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, SaugerWhy #2: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 5 public access sites
3. Lac la Croix — 168 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern PikeWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
4. Lake Pepin — 50 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
5. Namakan Lake — 150 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, SaugerWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
6. Lake Kabetogama — 75 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, SaugerWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
7. Namakan Lake — 150 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern PikeWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
8. Sand Point Lake — 180 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, SaugerWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
9. St. Croix River — 78 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #9: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 7 public access sites
10. Loon — 75 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern PikeWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
11. Crane Lake — 80 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, SaugerWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
12. White Bear Lake — 80 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
13. Mississippi River Pool 8 (La Crosse) — 39 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, SaugerWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
14. Mississippi River Pool 4 (Red Wing) — 37 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, SaugerWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
15. Mississippi River Pool 3 (Hastings to Red Wing) — 30 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, SaugerWhy #15: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 3 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
16. Mississippi River - Spring — 17 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #16: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
17. Phalen — 90 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, SaugerWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
18. Rebecca — 15 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, SaugerWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
19. Duck — 20 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern PikeWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
20. Rat Root — 8 ft max · Walleye, Sauger, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #20: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 2 public access sites
21. Crooked — 25 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, SaugerWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
22. Jane — 35 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern PikeWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
23. Winona (North Bay) — 20 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
24. St. Olaf — 25 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern PikeWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
25. Murphy — 20 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie, BluegillWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site

…plus 14 more Minnesota waters holding sauger.

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When to fish sauger in Minnesota

• Spring 4–18 ft — The famous tailwater run — fish stack below dams and on gravel bars in current seams.
• Summer 10–30 ft — Main-channel ledges and deep sand/gravel flats with current.
• Fall 12–35 ft — Fish pod up tight on channel structure — find one and you've found fifty.
• Winter 15–45 ft — The deepest holes below dams hold winter sauger by the hundreds.

Also in Minnesota: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best white bass 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 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

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