Bigmouth Buffalo Fishing Guide: 144 Lakes by Water Quality

Rough fish like Bigmouth Buffalo are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 144 the United States (49 states), Canada (Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador), and 38 other country hubs. LakeQuality covers lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Bigmouth Buffalo is moderately distributed — 144 lakes in Minnesota. Some counties have it, others do not, so checking the per-lake pages matters.

Rough-fish-dominant lakes are worth checking the phosphorus and chlorophyll-a readings on: a rough-fish-heavy fishery often reflects an underlying nutrient-loading problem in the watershed. Cross-reference the Bigmouth Buffalo lake list below against each lake's clarity, phosphorus and algae readings: lakes with low nutrient readings and Bigmouth Buffalo documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

144

Total Lakes

144

Minnesota lakes →

28 ft

Avg. Depth

Best Bigmouth Buffalo Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with bigmouth buffalo, ranked on nutrient and algae readings.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Depth	Species
1	Little Birch Lake	Todd	MN	89 ft	20
2	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	MN	55 ft	20
3	Long Lake	Otter Tail	MN	73 ft	17
4	Chippewa Lake	Douglas	MN	95 ft	19
5	Florida Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	40 ft	18
6	Eagle Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	67 ft	17
7	Green Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	110 ft	22
8	Cedar Lake	Aitkin	MN	105 ft	22
9	Howard Lake	Anoka	MN	-	12
10	Minnewaska Lake	Pope	MN	32 ft	21
11	Farm Island Lake	Aitkin	MN	56 ft	17
12	Pierz Lake	Morrison	MN	34 ft	16
13	Lake St Croix	Pierce	MN	78 ft	36
14	Pool	Washington	MN	78 ft	36
15	Washington Lake	Meeker	MN	17 ft	18
16	Koronis Lake	Stearns	MN	132 ft	22
17	Bingham Lake	Cottonwood	MN	10 ft	8
18	Minnewawa Lake	Aitkin	MN	21 ft	15
19	Big Sandy Lake	Aitkin	MN	84 ft	22
20	Calhoun Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	13 ft	15
21	Sarah Lake	Murray	MN	10 ft	10
22	Waconia Lake	Carver	MN	37 ft	16
23	Pool of Lake St Croix	Washington	MN	78 ft	36
24	Deep Lake	Ramsey	MN	11 ft	19
25	Carrie Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	26 ft	13
26	Waverly Lake	Wright	MN	70.5 ft	17
27	Big Kandiyohi Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	18 ft	16
28	Warner Lake	Stearns	MN	38 ft	12
29	Currant Lake	Murray	MN	9.5 ft	9
30	Pelican Lake	Pope	MN	34 ft	18
31	Charley Lake	Ramsey	MN	21 ft	20
32	Round Lake	Jackson	MN	9 ft	17
33	Long Lake	Watonwan	MN	13 ft	13
34	Ballantyne Lake	Blue Earth	MN	58 ft	16
35	Emily Lake	Pope	MN	6 ft	26
36	Foot Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	24 ft	15
37	Independence Lake	Hennepin	MN	58 ft	17
38	Howard Lake	Wright	MN	39 ft	16
39	Willmar Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	14 ft	18
40	Wood Lake	Yellow Medicine	MN	9 ft	11
41	Belle Lake	Meeker	MN	25 ft	16
42	Locke Lake	Wright	MN	49 ft	15
43	Cottonwood Lake	Cottonwood	MN	10 ft	15
44	Little Spirit Lake	Jackson	MN	8 ft	23
45	Page Lake	Stevens	MN	17 ft	10
46	Madison Lake	Blue Earth	MN	59 ft	20
47	Lower Elk Lake	Grant	MN	13 ft	12
48	Okabena Lake	Nobles	MN	16 ft	18
49	Penn Lake	Hennepin	MN	7 ft	8
50	Kansas Lake	Watonwan	MN	7 ft	14

Showing top 50 of 144 lakes with bigmouth buffalo.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have bigmouth buffalo?

Bigmouth Buffalo are documented in 144 lakes: 144 in Minnesota.

What are the best lakes for bigmouth buffalo?

The best bigmouth buffalo lakes by water quality are Little Birch Lake, Pelican Lake, Long Lake, Chippewa Lake, Florida Lake. These lakes carry the lowest nutrient and algae readings among all lakes where bigmouth buffalo have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with bigmouth buffalo?

Bigmouth Buffalo are most commonly found alongside bigmouth buffalo, yellow perch, black crappie, black bullhead, northern pike. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Bigmouth Buffalo Lakes

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 143 lakes · 1,577 total

Black Crappie Lakes

Found together in 140 lakes · 1,386 total

Black Bullhead Lakes

Found together in 137 lakes · 911 total

Northern Pike Lakes

Found together in 133 lakes · 2,386 total

Walleye Lakes

Found together in 133 lakes · 1,884 total

Common Carp Lakes

Found together in 130 lakes · 487 total

Fish species from state agency survey, stocking, and public fishing-access records; water-quality readings from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys. Species profiles are general reference; always check current state regulations before fishing.