Black Bullhead Fishing Guide: 911 Lakes by Water Quality

A small, hardy catfish that tolerates almost anything and bites readily. A classic kids’ and shore-fishing catch.

Black Bullhead fits the catfish niche: tolerant of warm, turbid water, often present in productive (eutrophic) lakes. 911 lakes in our dataset have a record. With 884 lakes in Minnesota and 27 in Michigan carrying a documented record, Black Bullhead is one of the more accessible targets in the dataset.

Catfish-bearing lakes are often productive systems — the kind where the fish do well even when clarity does not. Cross-reference the Black Bullhead lake list below against each lake's clarity, phosphorus and algae readings: lakes with low nutrient readings and Black Bullhead documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Where they live

Soft-bottom shallows and backwaters with cover.

Water quality they need

One of the most pollution- and low-oxygen-tolerant fish: bullhead abundance can actually signal a more fertile, nutrient-rich lake.

When to catch them

Best in warm water spring through fall, often at night.

911

Total Lakes

884

Minnesota lakes →

Michigan lakes →

38 ft

Avg. Depth

Best Black Bullhead Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with black bullhead, ranked on nutrient and algae readings.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Depth	Species
1	Lobster Lake	Douglas	MN	65 ft	18
2	Clearwater Lake	Wright	MN	73 ft	17
3	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	MN	100 ft	21
4	North Long Lake	Crow Wing	MN	97 ft	18
5	Mud Lake	Becker	MN	34 ft	16
6	Big Lake	Beltrami	MN	35 ft	17
7	Big Sugar Bush Lake	Becker	MN	42 ft	13
8	Pelican Lake	Crow Wing	MN	104 ft	17
9	Birch Lake	Wright	MN	52 ft	9
10	Birch Lake	Cass	MN	45 ft	14
11	Round Lake	Aitkin	MN	125 ft	18
12	Round Lake	Crow Wing	MN	51 ft	20
13	Round Lake	Becker	MN	69 ft	18
14	Ada Lake	Cass	MN	60 ft	16
15	Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	MN	138 ft	23
16	Whitefish Lake	Beltrami	MN	30 ft	12
17	Washburn Lake	Cass	MN	111 ft	21
18	Long Lake	Stearns	MN	28 ft	5
19	Long Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	46 ft	15
20	Long Lake	Clearwater	MN	80 ft	15
21	Long Lake	Cass	MN	115 ft	14
22	Long Lake	Becker	MN	61 ft	16
23	Long Lake	Otter Tail	MN	73 ft	17
24	Dead Lake	Otter Tail	MN	65 ft	18
25	Maple Lake	Douglas	MN	78 ft	17
26	Detroit Lake	Becker	MN	89 ft	19
27	Sallie Lake	Becker	MN	50 ft	16
28	Deer Lake	Otter Tail	MN	26 ft	16
29	Deer Lake	Itasca	MN	50 ft	15
30	Chippewa Lake	Douglas	MN	95 ft	19
31	Otter Lake	Ramsey	MN	21 ft	12
32	Lida Lake	Otter Tail	MN	58 ft	20
33	Cowdry Lake	Douglas	MN	52 ft	19
34	Big Spunk Lake	Stearns	MN	38 ft	19
35	Florida Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	40 ft	18
36	Spectacle Lake	Isanti	MN	51.5 ft	12
37	Marion Lake	Dakota	MN	21 ft	14
38	Sullivan Lake	Morrison	MN	57 ft	18
39	Eagle Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	67 ft	17
40	Darling Lake	Douglas	MN	62 ft	19
41	Ida Lake	Douglas	MN	106 ft	19
42	Ida Lake	Becker	MN	20 ft	14
43	Star Lake	Otter Tail	MN	94 ft	17
44	Upper Maple Lake	Wright	MN	76 ft	15
45	Fish Lake	Otter Tail	MN	69 ft	17
46	Fish Lake	Chisago	MN	57 ft	13
47	Norway Lake	Cass	MN	12 ft	14
48	Snail Lake	Ramsey	MN	30 ft	11
49	Shell Lake	Becker	MN	16 ft	14
50	Andrusia Lake	Beltrami	MN	60 ft	21

Showing top 50 of 911 lakes with black bullhead.

Frequently Asked Questions

What water quality do black bullhead need?

One of the most pollution- and low-oxygen-tolerant fish: bullhead abundance can actually signal a more fertile, nutrient-rich lake.

How many lakes have black bullhead?

Black Bullhead are documented in 911 lakes: 884 in Minnesota, 27 in Michigan.

What are the best lakes for black bullhead?

The best black bullhead lakes by water quality are Lobster Lake, Clearwater Lake, Lower Hay Lake, North Long Lake, Mud Lake. These lakes carry the lowest nutrient and algae readings among all lakes where black bullhead have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with black bullhead?

Black Bullhead are most commonly found alongside black bullhead, bluegill, black crappie, northern pike, yellow perch. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Black Bullhead Lakes

Bluegill Lakes

Found together in 831 lakes · 1,550 total

Black Crappie Lakes

Found together in 830 lakes · 1,386 total

Northern Pike Lakes

Found together in 808 lakes · 2,386 total

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 799 lakes · 1,577 total

Largemouth Bass Lakes

Found together in 764 lakes · 2,489 total

Pumpkinseed Lakes

Found together in 719 lakes · 1,328 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.