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Best sauger lakes in Minnesota

26 Minnesota waters hold sauger, 12 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. Rainy Lake — 161 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, SaugerWhy #1: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 5 public access sites
2. Lac la Croix — 168 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern PikeWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
3. Namakan Lake — 150 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, SaugerWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
4. Lake Kabetogama — 75 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, SaugerWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
5. Namakan Lake — 150 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern PikeWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
6. Sand Point Lake — 180 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, SaugerWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
7. Namakan — 150 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern PikeWhy #7: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
8. Crooked — 165 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern PikeWhy #8: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 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 · survey depth data · 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 · survey depth data · 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 · survey depth data · 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 · survey depth data · 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 2 (Hastings) — 30 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #14: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
15. Iron — 64 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern PikeWhy #15: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
16. Mississippi River Pool 4 (Red Wing) — 37 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, SaugerWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
17. Vermillion River — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, SaugerWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
18. Mississippi River Pool 3 (Hastings to Red Wing) — 30 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, SaugerWhy #18: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
19. Mississippi River - Spring — 17 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #19: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 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. Agnes — 30 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern PikeWhy #21: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
22. Vermillion River - Clear — 7 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, SaugerWhy #22: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
23. Mississippi River - Goose — 6 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, SaugerWhy #23: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
24. Goodview — 26 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern PikeWhy #24: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
25. Hiniker Pond — 21 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, SaugerWhy #25: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached

…plus 1 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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