Bigmouth Buffalo Lakes in Minnesota, Wisconsin & Michigan

Other SpeciesFound in 8 lakes

Rough fish like Bigmouth Buffalo are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 8 Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Bigmouth Buffalo is narrowly distributed — only 8 lakes in North Dakota have a documented record. The constraint is usually habitat: cold water, specific depth profile, or river connection.

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 LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Bigmouth Buffalo documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

North Dakota lakes →

Avg. Grade

29 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Bigmouth Buffalo Lakes

18%

28%

41%

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	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	55 ft	20
2	Moses Lake	Douglas	MN	A	32 ft	17
3	Long Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	73 ft	17
4	Chippewa Lake	Douglas	MN	A	95 ft	19
5	Cedar Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	105 ft	22
6	Little Birch Lake	Todd	MN	A	89 ft	20
7	Green Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	A	110 ft	22
8	Farm Island Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	56 ft	17
9	Florida Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	B	40 ft	18
10	Sylvia Lake	Stearns	MN	B	56 ft	19
11	Wilkins Lake	Aitkin	MN	B	39 ft	14
12	Minnewaska Lake	Pope	MN	B	32 ft	21
13	Dam Lake	Aitkin	MN	B	48 ft	17
14	Pierz Lake	Morrison	MN	B	34 ft	16
15	Lake St. Croix	Washington	MN	B	78 ft	36
16	Eagle Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	B	67 ft	17
17	Calhoun Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	B	13 ft	15
18	Waverly Lake	Wright	MN	B	70.5 ft	17
19	Jamestown Reservoir	Stutsman	ND	B	36.2 ft	9
20	Koronis Lake	Stearns	MN	C	132 ft	22
21	Minnewawa Lake	Aitkin	MN	C	21 ft	15
22	Big Sandy Lake	Aitkin	MN	C	84 ft	22
23	Split Hand Lake	Itasca	MN	C	34 ft	17
24	Little Split Hand Lake	Itasca	MN	C	25 ft	17
25	Waconia Lake	Carver	MN	C	37 ft	16
26	Carrie Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	C	26 ft	13
27	Gun Lake	Aitkin	MN	C	44 ft	16
28	Warner Lake	Stearns	MN	C	38 ft	12
29	St. Croix Lake	Washington	MN	C	78 ft	36
30	Lake Tschida	Grant	ND	C	57 ft	13
31	Lake Tschida	Grant	ND	C	57 ft	13
32	Trenton Lake	Williams	ND	C	8.1 ft	11
33	Charley Lake	Ramsey	MN	C	21 ft	20
34	Washington Lake	Meeker	MN	C	17 ft	18
35	Pelican Lake	Pope	MN	C	34 ft	18
36	Bingham Lake	Cottonwood	MN	C	10 ft	8
37	Howard Lake	Wright	MN	C	39 ft	16
38	Howard Lake	Anoka	MN	C	-	12
39	Belle Lake	Meeker	MN	C	25 ft	16
40	Sarah Lake	Murray	MN	C	10 ft	10
41	Burandt Lake	Carver	MN	C	24 ft	12
42	Pool of Lake St. Croix	Washington	MN	C	78 ft	36
43	Locke Lake	Wright	MN	C	49 ft	15
44	Pool on Lake St. Croix	Washington	MN	C	78 ft	36
45	Orwell Lake	Otter Tail	MN	C	25 ft	17
46	Lake Tschida	Grant	ND	C	57 ft	13
47	Lake Tschida	Grant	ND	C	57 ft	13
48	Penn Lake	Hennepin	MN	D	7 ft	8
49	Long Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	D	16 ft	16
50	Long Lake	Watonwan	MN	D	13 ft	13

Showing top 50 of 153 lakes with bigmouth buffalo.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have bigmouth buffalo?

Bigmouth Buffalo are found in 8 graded lakes: 8 in North Dakota. The average water quality grade of lakes with bigmouth buffalo is C (Fair).

What are the best lakes for bigmouth buffalo?

The best bigmouth buffalo lakes by water quality are Pelican Lake, Moses Lake, Long Lake, Chippewa Lake, Cedar 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 144 lakes · 113 total

Black Crappie Lakes

Found together in 141 lakes · 41 total

Black bullhead Lakes

Found together in 138 lakes · 28 total

Northern pike Lakes

Found together in 134 lakes · 99 total

Walleye Lakes

Found together in 134 lakes · 840 total

Common carp Lakes

Found together in 131 lakes · 6 total

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.