Best rainbow trout lakes in Minnesota
47 Minnesota waters hold rainbow trout, 45 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 classic stocked cold-water trout. Depth is everything: rainbows follow the temperature layer they like.
- East Battle — 80 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Bad Medicine — 80 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
- Birch — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
- Hungry Jack — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
- Dumbbell — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
- High — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Bluegill
- Mahnomen, Alstead & Arco — 500 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
- Grindstone — 150 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
- Huntington Mine — 220 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Elmo — 120 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
- Big Watab — 120 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Blue — 80 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
- Harriet — 80 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Manuella — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
- Trout — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Bluegill
- Christmas — 90 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Sagamore Mine — 200 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Square — 65 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Portsmouth Mine — 350 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Larson — 170 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Bluegill
- Sabin (Embarrass Mine) — 450 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Bluegill
- Pennington Mine — 220 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Ahsub — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
- Diamond — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Dry — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Bluegill
…plus 22 more Minnesota waters holding rainbow trout.
When to fish rainbow trout in Minnesota
- Spring 5–20 ft — Post-ice-out trout roam shallow; fish inflows and windblown shorelines.
- Summer 8–30 ft — Rainbows hold near cold inflows, current seams and the thermocline — find the cool water and you've found the fish.
- Fall 10–35 ft — Fall feeding on rock shoals, current and channel edges as water cools.
- Winter 8–40 ft — Trout are comfortable in cold water — one of the best winter targets; streams and tailwaters fish shallow, deep lakes hold on basin edges.
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 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
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