Bigmouth Buffalo Fishing Guide

Other SpeciesDocumented in 144 graded lakes across 1 state

Rough fish like Bigmouth Buffalo are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 144 the 49 states and 2 Canadian provinces 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 grade 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 the letter grades: lakes with both an A or B grade and Bigmouth Buffalo documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

144

Total Lakes

144

Minnesota lakes →

Avg. Grade

28 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Bigmouth Buffalo Lakes

10%

15%

42%

Best Bigmouth Buffalo Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with bigmouth buffalo ranked by overall water quality grade.

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

Showing top 50 of 144 lakes with bigmouth buffalo.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have bigmouth buffalo?

Bigmouth Buffalo are found in 144 graded lakes: 144 in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of lakes with bigmouth buffalo is D (Nutrient-rich).

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 have the highest water quality grades 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 · 1,631 total

Black Crappie Lakes

Found together in 140 lakes · 1,428 total

Black Bullhead Lakes

Found together in 137 lakes · 937 total

Northern Pike Lakes

Found together in 133 lakes · 2,487 total

Walleye Lakes

Found together in 133 lakes · 1,982 total

Common Carp Lakes

Found together in 130 lakes · 506 total

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