From Brainerd, 60 waters from our guide are no more than 75 minutes away by road — 52 lakes and 8 reservoirs. Across these waters, 26 fish species are on record.
Closest to Brainerd: Perch Lake, 7 minutes away
The closest water to Brainerd is Perch Lake, 7 min (4.6 mi) away by road. The drive time is measured to the ramp: Perch Lake Public Water Access Site.
Next by drive time:
- Red Sand Lake — 10 min (6.4 mi)
- North Long Lake — 12 min (7.5 mi)
- Round Lake — 14 min (10.7 mi)
26 fish species around Brainerd
Bluegill turns up in more of these waters than any other fish: 67 of 60. Next come Largemouth Bass (66), Black Crappie (65), Northern Pike (60) and Brown Bullhead (58).
For each of these 5 fish the closest water is the same: Perch Lake, 7 min (4.6 mi).
3 waters at the top of the Brainerd list
Our ranking for Brainerd weighs the drive, the depth map, the fish on record and the ramps; it puts these 3 first:
- Gull Lake (reservoir): 9,936 acres, 20 fish species on record, max depth 80 ft (surveyed) and 10 ramps.
- Mille Lacs Lake: 128,173 acres, 20 fish species on record, max depth 40 ft (surveyed) and 49 ramps.
- North Long Lake: 6,176 acres, 17 fish species on record, max depth 90 ft (surveyed) and 4 ramps.
Launching near Brainerd: 95 ramps
Around Brainerd you will find 95 boat ramps and 7 shore-fishing spots on the waters in this guide. Nearest to the center for launching: Perch Lake Public Water Access Site on Perch Lake, roughly 3.9 mi as the crow flies.
Rabbit Lake goes down to 300 ft
Rabbit Lake has the greatest depth on our map near here, 300 ft (surveyed). Other deep spots are Round Lake (120 ft), Big Trout Lake (120 ft) and Roosevelt Lake (120 ft). Maximum depths are known for all 60 waters.
Camping within reach of Brainerd
You can camp next to the water: 8 campgrounds are within reach of Brainerd. Nearest to the city: Gull Lake Recreation Area (8.1 mi, by Gull Lake), Gulf Lake- Cor of Engineers Campground (8.1 mi, by Gull Lake) and Rock Lake Campground (14.2 mi, by Rock Lake).
