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Best rainbow trout lakes in Minnesota

142 Minnesota waters list rainbow trout (official records or labelled estimates), 62 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 classic stocked cold-water trout. Depth is everything: rainbows follow the temperature layer they like.

1. Lake Superior — Duluth and the Western Arm — 756 ft max · real survey depth contours · Walleye, Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho SalmonWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 10 public access sites, 5 carry-in or shore-oriented
2. St. Louis River Estuary — 55 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #2: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 9 public access sites
3. Bad Medicine — 80 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
4. East Battle — 80 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
5. Birch — 60 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Rainbow Trout, Lake TroutWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
6. Dumbbell — 30 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Rainbow TroutWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
7. Mahnomen, Alstead & Arco — 500 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
8. Grindstone — 150 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
9. Huntington Mine — 220 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
10. Elmo — 120 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
11. Big Watab — 120 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
12. Blue — 80 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
13. Sagamore Mine — 200 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
14. Square — 65 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
15. Portsmouth Mine — 350 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
16. Larson — 170 ft max · real survey depth contours · Walleye, Northern Pike, Bluegill, Rainbow TroutWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
17. Charlotte — 80 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
18. Sabin (Embarrass Mine) — 450 ft max · real survey depth contours · Walleye, Northern Pike, Bluegill, Rainbow TroutWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
19. Pennington Mine — 220 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
20. Ahsub — 70 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Bluegill, Rainbow TroutWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
21. Diamond — 30 ft max · real survey depth contours · Walleye, Crappie, Rainbow Trout, MuskellungeWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
22. Dry — 40 ft max · real survey depth contours · Bluegill, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook TroutWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
23. Hungry Jack — 70 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
24. Divide — 20 ft max · real survey depth contours · Walleye, Rainbow Trout, Muskellunge, Yellow PerchWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
25. South Branch Root River — 6 ft max · Rainbow TroutWhy #25: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 2 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented

…plus 117 more Minnesota waters holding rainbow trout.

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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.

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