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Best sauger lakes in Minnesota

17 Minnesota waters hold sauger, 15 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 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 Kabetogama — 75 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger
2. Namakan Lake — 150 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern Pike
3. Sand Point Lake — 180 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger
4. Loon — 75 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger
5. Crane Lake — 80 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger
6. Little Vermilion — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger
7. White Bear Lake — 80 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
8. Crystal — 35 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern Pike
9. Phalen — 90 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Sauger
10. Duck — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern Pike
11. Crooked — 25 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger
12. Jane — 35 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern Pike
13. Mississippi River Pool 8 (La Crosse) — 25 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger
14. St. Olaf — 25 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern Pike
15. Murphy — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern Pike
16. Lily — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern Pike
17. Mississippi River Pool 4 (Red Wing) — 30 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Sauger

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 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

Sauger elsewhere: Montana · Indiana · Wisconsin · Kentucky · Illinois