Bigmouth Buffalo Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 145 Minnesota lakes · 8 in North Dakota

Rough fish like Bigmouth Buffalo are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 8 Minnesota 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.

145

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Bigmouth Buffalo Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.4 ft	55 ft
2	Moses Lake	Douglas	A	16.5 ft	32 ft
3	Long Lake	Otter Tail	A	11.6 ft	73 ft
4	Chippewa Lake	Douglas	A	14.8 ft	95 ft
5	Cedar Lake	Aitkin	A	11.1 ft	105 ft
6	Little Birch Lake	Todd	A	13 ft	89 ft
7	Green Lake	Kandiyohi	A	14.1 ft	110 ft
8	Farm Island Lake	Aitkin	A	11.3 ft	56 ft
9	Florida Lake	Kandiyohi	B	12.3 ft	40 ft
10	Sylvia Lake	Stearns	B	10 ft	56 ft
11	Wilkins Lake	Aitkin	B	13 ft	39 ft
12	Minnewaska Lake	Pope	B	11 ft	32 ft
13	Dam Lake	Aitkin	B	11.3 ft	48 ft
14	Pierz Lake	Morrison	B	9.5 ft	34 ft
15	Lake St. Croix	Washington	B	5.2 ft	78 ft
16	Eagle Lake	Kandiyohi	B	6.9 ft	67 ft
17	Calhoun Lake	Kandiyohi	B	6.9 ft	13 ft
18	Waverly Lake	Wright	B	6.9 ft	70.5 ft
19	Koronis Lake	Stearns	C	6 ft	132 ft
20	Minnewawa Lake	Aitkin	C	5 ft	21 ft
21	Big Sandy Lake	Aitkin	C	4.5 ft	84 ft
22	Split Hand Lake	Itasca	C	6 ft	34 ft
23	Little Split Hand Lake	Itasca	C	9 ft	25 ft
24	Waconia Lake	Carver	C	7.3 ft	37 ft
25	Carrie Lake	Kandiyohi	C	4.5 ft	26 ft
26	Gun Lake	Aitkin	C	7 ft	44 ft
27	Warner Lake	Stearns	C	6 ft	38 ft
28	St. Croix Lake	Washington	C	8.7 ft	78 ft
29	Charley Lake	Ramsey	C	4.6 ft	21 ft
30	Washington Lake	Meeker	C	4.5 ft	17 ft
31	Pelican Lake	Pope	C	5.2 ft	34 ft
32	Bingham Lake	Cottonwood	C	4 ft	10 ft
33	Howard Lake	Wright	C	4 ft	39 ft
34	Howard Lake	Anoka	C	3.3 ft	-
35	Belle Lake	Meeker	C	3.9 ft	25 ft
36	Sarah Lake	Murray	C	3.9 ft	10 ft
37	Burandt Lake	Carver	C	3.9 ft	24 ft
38	Pool of Lake St. Croix	Washington	C	4.3 ft	78 ft
39	Locke Lake	Wright	C	3.9 ft	49 ft
40	Pool on Lake St. Croix	Washington	C	5.9 ft	78 ft
41	Orwell Lake	Otter Tail	C	4.1 ft	25 ft
42	Penn Lake	Hennepin	D	2 ft	7 ft
43	Long Lake	Kandiyohi	D	5 ft	16 ft
44	Long Lake	Watonwan	D	2.5 ft	13 ft
45	Cokato Lake	Wright	D	6 ft	52 ft
46	Fish Lake	Wright	D	3 ft	38 ft
47	Deer Lake	Wright	D	5 ft	27 ft
48	Barrett Lake	Grant	D	4 ft	28 ft
49	Rice Lake	Stearns	D	3 ft	41 ft
50	Independence Lake	Hennepin	D	4.8 ft	58 ft

Showing top 50 of 145 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have bigmouth buffalo?

Bigmouth Buffalo are found in 145 lakes in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is D (Poor).

What are the best bigmouth buffalo lakes in Minnesota?

The best bigmouth buffalo lakes in Minnesota by water quality are Pelican Lake, Moses Lake, Long Lake, Chippewa Lake, Cedar Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.