Bluegill across Minnesota
Limits, records and DNR survey waters for bluegill.
- 20 combined totallimit
- 2 lb 3 ozrecord
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bluegill across Minnesota
Minnesota anglers meet Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), a member of the sunfish family. Under the DNR row for inland waters (statewide): 20 combined total, Continuous.
The Minnesota record weighed 2 lb 3 oz, from Big Stone Lake (2026). Look for it in 2,138 surveyed lakes; 2,536 are on this site. Maple Lake, Todd County tops the gill net catch at 94.83 per net.
For the bluegill herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 What the DNR writes about bluegill
“Quality sunfish initiative”
“For years, anglers have been telling the DNR they were satisfied with sunfish/bluegill numbers but an increasing number of anglers have been concerned about catching so many small sunfish.”
“DNR fisheries managers responded with a quality sunfish initiative that uses proven daily limits of five or 10 sunfish to protect and improve sunfish quality on select lakes with both biological potential to produce large sunfish and strong public support.”
- Sunfish is a generic name for a group fish that includes bluegill, pumpkinseed, green sunfish, orange-spotted sunfish, longear, warmouth and their hybrids.identification
- Most bluegills are light to dark olive though older fish may have a purplish tinge.identification
- sunfishalso called
Quoted from the DNR fish page and the 2026 regulations identification guide, checked October 2026.
Bag and season for bluegill
| Where | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Inland waters (statewide) | 20 combined total | Continuous |
2026 Minnesota Fishing Regulations. All Minnesota limits.
bluegill in the DNR record tables
| Category | Weight | Water | County | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| non certified weight | 2 lb 13 oz | Alice Lake | Hubbard | |
| certified weight | 2 lb 3 oz | Big Stone Lake | Big Stone | 2026 |
Minnesota DNR state records; angler names left out.
bluegill per gill net, best lakes
| Lake | Per gill net | Normal range | Avg lb | Survey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maple Lake, Todd County | 94.83 | 0.15 | 2021 | |
| Idlewild Lake | 90 | 0.22 | 1992 | |
| Lake Harriet | 87 | 0.21 | 2024 | |
| Adley Lake | 84.83 | 0.17 | 2025 | |
| Geneva Lake, Douglas County | 81 | 0.24 | 2024 | |
| Sallie Lake | 78.89 | 0.17 | 2024 | |
| Roy Lake, Mahnomen County | 78.67 | 0.17 | 2022 | |
| Cody/Phelps Lake | 78 | 0.04 | 2015 | |
| Round Lake near Richville, Otter Tail County | 77.33 | 0.11 | 2010 | |
| Little Dead Horse Lake | 74 | 0.17 | 1982 | |
| Kraemer Lake | 71 | 0.15 | 2022 | |
| Kelser's Pond | 70.5 | 0.21 | 2008 |
DNR LakeFinder latest survey per lake; standard and special gill nets.
Waters for bluegill
Lake pages listing bluegill
- Mille Lacs Lake128,250 acres
- Red Lake (Upper Red)119,294 acres
- Leech Lake103,444 acres
- Lake Winnibigoshish56,471 acres
- Vermilion Lake39,272 acres
- Basswood Lake25,953 acres
- Namakan Lake24,066 acres
- Kabetogama Lake24,034 acres
- Cass Lake15,958 acres
- Lake Minnetonka14,206 acres
- Otter Tail Lake14,079 acres
- Lake Pepin12,299 acres
- Big Stone Lake11,984 acres
- Pelican Lake, St. Louis County11,546 acres
- Traverse Lake10,849 acres
- St. Louis River Estuary10,255 acres
- Gull Lake, Cass County10,010 acres
- Bowstring Lake9,528 acres
- Sand Point Lake8,527 acres
- St. Croix River8,393 acres
- Pelican Lake, Crow Wing County8,367 acres
- Lake Minnewaska8,050 acres
- Island Lake Reservoir8,001 acres
- Whitefish Lake near Manhattan Beach, Crow Wing County7,714 acres
River pages listing bluegill
- Mississippi RiverAitkin
- Otter Tail RiverOtter Tail
- St. Louis RiverSt. Louis
- Red Lake RiverPolk
- Vermilion RiverSt. Louis
- Turtle RiverBeltrami
- Mustinka RiverGrant
- Hay Creek, Goodhue CountyGoodhue
- Hay Creek, Pine CountyPine
- Hay Creek, Carlton CountyCarlton
DNR LakeFinder survey lists; largest lakes first.
Relatives of bluegill
- Largemouth basssunfish family
- Smallmouth basssunfish family
- Rock basssunfish family
- Black crappiesunfish family
- White crappiesunfish family
- Pumpkinseedsunfish family
- Green sunfishsunfish family
- Hybrid sunfishsunfish family
- Warmouthsunfish family
Water you can reach from Bluegill, pictured
Photo: Jon Platek, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: chief_huddleston, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Jonathan Miske, CC BY-SA 2.0
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What Minnesota anglers ask about bluegill
Which size rule covers bluegill in Minnesota?
20 combined total (Inland waters (statewide)), season Continuous.
How heavy is the Minnesota record bluegill?
2 lb 3 oz from Big Stone Lake (2026).
Where do Minnesota anglers find bluegill?
Maple Lake, Todd County leads the DNR gill net catch at 94.83 per net; 2,546 waters on this site list it.
Will the DNR stock bluegill this year?
16 rows on the DNR area stocking pages, such as Piepenburg Park Pond.
Which other names does the DNR use for bluegill?
Sunfish is a generic name for a group fish that includes bluegill, pumpkinseed, green sunfish, orange-spotted sunfish, longear, warmouth and their hybrids.
Which months allow keeping bluegill in Minnesota?
Continuous
Which license do bluegill anglers carry in Minnesota?
Minnesota residents 16 to 89 need an angling license ($25 for the year); nonresidents 16 and older pay $51.
Which guides target bluegill?
No guide lists it.
Chase bluegill across Minnesota
Choose any Minnesota lake or stream listed above.