Pumpkinseed across Minnesota
Minnesota rules, records and lakes for pumpkinseed.
- 20 combined totallimit
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Minnesota pumpkinseed at a glance
Pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus) belongs to the sunfish family on the DNR list. For inland waters (statewide), the limit reads 20 combined total with a season of Continuous.
DNR surveys list it in 1,791 lakes; 2,187 of them have a page here. The best gill net rate belongs to Anna Lake, Crow Wing County: 71.5 per net.
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“What is a sunfish? Sunfish is a generic name for a group fish that includes bluegill, pumpkinseed, green sunfish, orange-spotted sunfish, longear, warmouth and their hybrids.”
- Sunfish is a generic name for a group fish that includes bluegill, pumpkinseed, green sunfish, orange-spotted sunfish, longear, warmouth and their hybrids.identification
- pumpkinseed sunfishalso called
Quoted from the DNR fish page and the 2026 regulations identification guide, checked October 2026.
Rules for keeping pumpkinseed
| Where | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Inland waters (statewide) | 20 combined total | Continuous |
2026 Minnesota Fishing Regulations. All Minnesota limits.
Highest pumpkinseed survey catch
| Lake | Per gill net | Normal range | Avg lb | Survey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anna Lake, Crow Wing County | 71.5 | 0.07 | 1989 | |
| East Hunter Lake | 58.5 | 0.18 | 2007 | |
| Bear Lake, Otter Tail County | 50 | 0.04 | 1989 | |
| Independence Lake | 39 | 0.05 | 2023 | |
| Ogechie Lake | 39 | 0.22 | 1989 | |
| Lower Camp Lake | 32 | 0.28 | 1991 | |
| Rock Lake, Cass County | 22.5 | 0.07 | 2025 | |
| Big Bass Lake (east basin) | 21.44 | 0.12 | 2022 | |
| Melissa Lake | 20 | 0.18 | 2024 | |
| Bur Oaks Pond | 18 | 0.19 | 2010 | |
| Grace Lake, Hubbard County | 17.5 | 0.26 | 2025 | |
| Pulaski Lake | 16.75 | 0.23 | 2025 |
DNR LakeFinder latest survey per lake; standard and special gill nets.
Where DNR surveys place pumpkinseed
Big lakes for pumpkinseed
- Lake of the Woods725,583 acres
- Rainy Lake, St. Louis County210,200 acres
- Mille Lacs Lake128,250 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
- Saganaga Lake18,767 acres
- Cass Lake15,958 acres
- Lake Minnetonka14,206 acres
- Otter Tail Lake14,079 acres
- Lake Pepin12,299 acres
- Pelican Lake, St. Louis County11,546 acres
- St. Louis River Estuary10,255 acres
- Gull Lake, Cass County10,010 acres
- Bowstring Lake9,528 acres
- Sand Point Lake8,527 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
- Dead Lake, Otter Tail County7,546 acres
Flowing water with pumpkinseed
- Mississippi RiverAitkin
- Otter Tail RiverOtter Tail
- St. Louis RiverSt. Louis
- Red Lake RiverPolk
- Vermilion RiverSt. Louis
- Turtle RiverBeltrami
- Island RiverLake
- Hay Creek, Goodhue CountyGoodhue
- Hay Creek, Pine CountyPine
- Hay Creek, Carlton CountyCarlton
DNR LakeFinder survey lists; largest lakes first.
Species grouped with pumpkinseed
- Largemouth basssunfish family
- Smallmouth basssunfish family
- Rock basssunfish family
- Black crappiesunfish family
- White crappiesunfish family
- Bluegillsunfish family
- Green sunfishsunfish family
- Hybrid sunfishsunfish family
- Warmouthsunfish family
Shorelines around Pumpkinseed
Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Wikideas1, CC0
Photo: Jon Platek, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Jimmy Dreger, CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers before you chase pumpkinseed
Which Minnesota rules govern keeping pumpkinseed?
20 combined total (Inland waters (statewide)), season Continuous.
What is the biggest pumpkinseed caught in Minnesota?
The record book does not carry it.
Which Minnesota waters hold pumpkinseed?
Anna Lake, Crow Wing County leads the DNR gill net catch at 71.5 per net; 2,197 waters on this site list it.
Does the DNR stock pumpkinseed?
The stocking pages here do not list it.
Which features mark pumpkinseed?
Sunfish is a generic name for a group fish that includes bluegill, pumpkinseed, green sunfish, orange-spotted sunfish, longear, warmouth and their hybrids.
Does Minnesota close the season on pumpkinseed?
Continuous
Which license do pumpkinseed anglers buy in Minnesota?
Minnesota residents 16 to 89 need an angling license ($25 for the year); nonresidents 16 and older pay $51.
Can I hire a trip for pumpkinseed?
All Minnesota operators are on the guides page.
Fish for pumpkinseed this season
Every listed water opens its own Minnesota page.