Locations

Fish species in Minnesota

161 species have two or more US observation records in Minnesota. Explore their habitats, families, and local records.

161 species have two or more US observation records in Minnesota. ITIS calls 51 of them native to the United States, 101 native to part of the country and introduced elsewhere, and 9 introduced.

Species: 161
Freshwater: 161
Saltwater: 20
Survey list: 123

1state

Minnesota in the United States.

Two counts, two questions. 161 is the number of species observed in Minnesota and filed with GBIF, which includes lakes, the coast, and museum records. 123 is the number the USGS stream survey caught, which samples flowing fresh water only. Neither is the other, so the site never adds them.

The statute

The official state fish of Minnesota

Walleye

Sander vitreus · named 1965

leg.mn.gov

A state fish is a statute, not a survey. It says which fish the legislature chose, not which fish is most common. The list above links each row to the state's own record.

Record fish

Minnesota state records

The heaviest fish of each species certified by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, certified weight, 1980 onward. Heaviest first. Every figure is the agency’s own.

Species	Weight	Length	Water	Date	Angler
Sturgeon, Lake	94 lb 4 oz	70	Kettle River	9/5/1994
Muskellunge	55 lb 14 oz	57¾	Mille Lacs Lake	11/22/2021
Buffalo, Bigmouth	41 lb 11 oz	38⅜	Pool 4 Mississippi River	5/7/1991
Drum, Freshwater (Sheepshead)	35 lb 3 oz	36	Mississippi River near Winona	10/5/1999
Muskellunge, Tiger	34 lb 12 oz	51	Lake Elmo	7/7/1999
Salmon, Chinook - Tie	33 lb 4 oz	44¾	Poplar River	9/23/1989
Salmon, Chinook - Tie	33 lb 4 oz	42¼	Lake Superior	10/12/1989
Buffalo, Smallmouth	20 lb 0 oz	32	Big Sandy	9/20/2003
Burbot (Eelpout)	19 lb 10 oz	33	Lake of the Woods; near Baudette	12/19/2016
Gar, Longnose	16 lb 12 oz	53	St. Croix River near Prescott	5/4/1982
Trout, Brown	16 lb 12 oz	31⅜	Lake Superior	6/23/1989
Trout, Rainbow (Steelhead)	16 lb 6 oz	33	Devil Track River	4/27/1980
Whitefish, Lake	13 lb 9 oz	29½	Lake of the Woods	4/6/2019
Salmon, Atlantic	12 lb 13 oz	35½	Baptism River	10/12/1991
Redhorse, Greater	12 lb 11 oz	28½	Sauk River	5/20/2005
Redhorse, River	12 lb 10 oz	28⅜	Kettle River	5/20/2005
Bowfin	12 lb 9 oz	31½	Mississippi River	9/14/2012
Salmon, Coho	12 lb 5 oz	33.75	Lake Superior	6/1/2024	Austin Stoltenburg, Iron
Redhorse, Silver	10 lb 6 oz	26¾	Rainy River	4/28/2018
Saugeye,Walleye x Sauger Hybrid	9 lb 13 oz	27	Mississippi River near Red Wing	3/20/1999
Sucker, White	9 lb 1 oz	24¼	Big Fish Lake	5/1/1983
Bass, Largemouth	8 lb 15 oz	23½	Auburn Lake	10/3/2005
Redhorse, Shorthead	7 lb 15 oz	27	Rum River near Ramsey	8/5/1983
Carpsucker, Quillback	7 lb 4 oz	22⅝	Upper Red Lake	8/9/2010
Sturgeon, Shovelnose	6 lb 7 oz	33	Mississippi River near Red Wing	2/19/2012
Trout, Brook	6 lb 5 oz	24	Pigeon River	9/2/2000
Sauger	6 lb 2 oz	23⅞	Mississippi River near Red Wing, (L&D No.3)	5/23/1988
Cisco (Tullibee)	5 lb 13 oz	20¾	Sybil Lake	3/9/2015
Gar, Shortnose	5 lb 4 oz	31	Minnesota River	4/17/2017
Bass, White	4 lb 8 oz	20	Vadnais Lake	10/10/2016
Redhorse, Golden	4 lb 8 oz	22½	Otter Tail River	4/7/2018
Salmon, Pink	4 lb 8 oz	23½	Cascade River	9/9/1989
Carpsucker, River	4 lb 6 oz	21⅝	Minnesota River	11/19/2012
Crappie, Black	4 lb 1 oz		Cedar Lake	5/3/2026	David Selle, Lino Lakes
Crappie, White	3 lb 15 oz	18	Lake Constance	7/28/2002
Bullhead, Black	3 lb 13 oz	17⅛	Reno Lake	6/8/1997
Bullhead, Yellow	3 lb 10 oz	17⅞	Lake Osakis	8/5/2002
Sucker, Longnose	3 lb 10 oz	21	Brule River	5/19/2005
Bullhead, Brown	3 lb 9 oz		North Long Lake	2/20/2026	Jonathon Johnson
Goldeye	3 lb 5 oz	20 ⅔	Minnesota River	5/3/2020
Hogsucker, Northern	3 lb 4 oz	18½	Mississippi River near St. Cloud	5/3/2023
Trout, Tiger	2 lb 9 oz	20	Mill Creek	8/7/1999
Whitefish, Menominee, (Round)	2 lb 7 oz	21	Lake Superior	4/27/1987
Bass, Rock	2 lb 4 oz	13½	Mille Lacs Lake	9/28/2024	Ryan Wells, Minneapolis
Bluegill	2 lb 3 oz	11.5	Big Stone Lake	7/7/26	Dale Hoffman, Ramsey, MN
Mooneye	2 lb 1 oz	18	Wabasha Creek	5/11/2024	Robert Tufts II, Franklin
Sunfish, Hybrid-Tie	1 lb 12 oz	11½	Zumbro River	7/9/1994
Sunfish, Hybrid-Tie	1 lb 12 oz	12	Green Lake	9/18/2022
Sunfish, Pumpkinseed	1 lb 5 oz	10	Leech Lake	6/6/1999
Sunfish, Green	1 lb 4 oz	10¼	North Arbor Lake	6/14/2005
Bass, Yellow	1 lb 3 oz	12.5	Clear Lake	5/11/2024	Dennis Dagel, Lakefield

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. A row with no link is a name the site holds no species page for, which is usually a hybrid.

Most recorded

The fish of Minnesota

The species with the most observation records in the state. It is the closest the open data comes to naming the fish people meet.

Yellow Perch15,565 records

Perca flavescensPercidaeNative and introducedFreshBrackish

Bluegill15,040 records

Lepomis macrochirusCentrarchidaeNative and introducedFresh

Northern Pike15,004 records

Esox luciusEsocidaeNative and introducedFreshBrackish

Largemouth Bass14,713 records

Micropterus salmoidesCentrarchidaeNative and introducedFresh

Walleye14,266 records

Sander vitreusPercidaeNative and introducedFreshBrackish

Black Crappie13,682 records

Pomoxis nigromaculatusCentrarchidaeNative and introducedFresh

White Sucker12,185 records

Catostomus commersoniiCatostomidaeNative and introducedFreshBrackish

Pumpkinseed10,950 records

Lepomis gibbosusCentrarchidaeNative and introducedFreshBrackish

Black Bullhead9,604 records

Ameiurus melasIctaluridaeNative and introducedFresh

Yellow Bullhead7,984 records

Ameiurus natalisIctaluridaeNative and introducedFresh

Brown Bullhead6,471 records

Ameiurus nebulosusIctaluridaeNative and introducedFresh

Rock Bass5,963 records

Ambloplites rupestrisCentrarchidaeNative and introducedFresh

Groups

Types of fish in Minnesota

Species

All 161 species, A–Z

A

C

D

Deepwater Sculpin Myoxocephalus thompsonii

E

F

G

H

L

M

N

O

P

Q

Quillback Carpiodes cyprinus

R

S

T

W

Y

One record only

18 more with a single record

One observation can be a stray, an aquarium release, or a mis-keyed locality, so these are kept out of the count above and listed here instead. The first 18 are shown.