black bullhead Lakes in Minnesota & Wisconsin

Other SpeciesFound in 868 lakes

Rough fish like black bullhead are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 868 Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. With 868 Minnesota lakes and 0 in Wisconsin documenting black bullhead, the species is one of the more accessible targets in the dataset.

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 black bullhead lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and black bullhead documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

868

Total Lakes

868

Minnesota

Wisconsin

Avg. Grade

42 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of black bullhead Lakes

192

22%

179

21%

201

23%

162

19%

134

15%

Best black bullhead Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with black bullhead ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	100 ft	21
2	Big Sugar Bush Lake	Becker	MN	A	42 ft	13
3	Birch Lake	Wright	MN	A	52 ft	9
4	Round Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	59 ft	15
5	Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	138 ft	23
6	Long Lake	Clearwater	MN	A	80 ft	15
7	Long Lake	Cass	MN	A	115 ft	14
8	Long Lake	Becker	MN	A	61 ft	16
9	Unnamed Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	95 ft	17
10	Chippewa Lake	Douglas	MN	A	95 ft	19
11	Cowdry Lake	Douglas	MN	A	52 ft	19
12	Spearhead Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	81 ft	17
13	Ida Lake	Douglas	MN	A	106 ft	19
14	Star Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	94 ft	17
15	Upper Maple Lake	Wright	MN	A	76 ft	15
16	Partridge Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	42 ft	10
17	Fish Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	69 ft	17
18	Andrusia Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	60 ft	21
19	Girl Lake	Cass	MN	A	81 ft	18
20	Little Toad Lake	Becker	MN	A	65 ft	15
21	Big Mcdonald Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	46 ft	15
22	Bass Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	47 ft	14
23	Island Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	76 ft	19
24	Island Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	32 ft	13
25	Big Pine Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	78 ft	15
26	Lizzie Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	66 ft	21
27	Turtle Lake	Becker	MN	A	73 ft	13
28	Pickerel Lake	Becker	MN	A	74 ft	14
29	Strawberry Lake	Becker	MN	A	40 ft	16
30	Alexander Lake	Morrison	MN	A	64 ft	19
31	George Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	A	34 ft	15
32	Middle Cormorant Lake	Becker	MN	A	40 ft	13
33	Upper Bottle Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	55 ft	14
34	Hand Lake	Cass	MN	A	57 ft	15
35	Courthouse Lake	Carver	MN	A	57 ft	10
36	Miltona Lake	Douglas	MN	A	105 ft	19
37	West Battle Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	108 ft	17
38	Wabana Lake	Itasca	MN	A	115 ft	14
39	Little Mantrap Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	54 ft	13
40	West Sylvia Lake	Wright	MN	A	97 ft	15
41	Serpent Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	65 ft	17
42	Mina Lake	Douglas	MN	A	123 ft	18
43	Little Mcdonald Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	109 ft	14
44	Bay Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	74 ft	13
45	Big Watab Lake	Stearns	MN	A	123 ft	15
46	White Bear Lake	Washington	MN	A	83 ft	18
47	11 Crow Wing Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	80 ft	17
48	Elbow Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	46 ft	11
49	Rush Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	105 ft	21
50	Schultz Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	48 ft	11

Showing top 50 of 868 lakes with black bullhead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have black bullhead?

black bullhead are found in 868 lakes across Minnesota and Wisconsin, 868 in Minnesota and 0 in Wisconsin. The average water quality grade of lakes with black bullhead is C (Fair).

What are the best lakes for black bullhead?

The best black bullhead lakes by water quality are Lower Hay Lake, Big Sugar Bush Lake, Birch Lake, Round Lake, Whitefish Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades 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 bluegill, black crappie, northern pike, yellow perch, largemouth bass. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.