Black Bullhead Fishing Guide

Catfish & BullheadDocumented in 937 graded lakes across 2 states

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. 937 lakes in our dataset have a record. With 911 lakes in Minnesota and 26 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 the letter grades: lakes with both an A or B grade 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, lower-graded lake.

When to catch them

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

937

Total Lakes

911

Minnesota lakes →

Michigan lakes →

Avg. Grade

39 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Black Bullhead Lakes

242

26%

160

17%

138

15%

155

17%

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

Showing top 50 of 937 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, lower-graded lake.

How many lakes have black bullhead?

Black Bullhead are found in 937 graded lakes: 911 in Minnesota, 26 in Michigan. 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 Lobster Lake, Clearwater Lake, Lower Hay Lake, North Long Lake, Mud 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 black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, northern pike, yellow perch. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Black Bullhead Lakes

Black Crappie Lakes

Found together in 857 lakes · 1,428 total

Bluegill Lakes

Found together in 857 lakes · 1,601 total

Northern Pike Lakes

Found together in 835 lakes · 2,487 total

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 826 lakes · 1,631 total

Largemouth Bass Lakes

Found together in 790 lakes · 2,593 total

Pumpkinseed Lakes

Found together in 745 lakes · 1,370 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.