Black bullhead Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 926 Minnesota lakes · 28 in Michigan

Rough fish like Black bullhead are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 28 Minnesota lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Black bullhead is narrowly distributed — only 28 lakes in Michigan 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 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.

926

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

190

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Black bullhead Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	North Long Lake	Crow Wing	A	15.1 ft	97 ft
2	Big Sugar Bush Lake	Becker	A	16.5 ft	42 ft
3	Long Lake	Cass	A	21.5 ft	115 ft
4	Long Lake	Clearwater	A	20.5 ft	80 ft
5	Long Lake	Becker	A	19.3 ft	61 ft
6	Spearhead Lake	Hubbard	A	15 ft	81 ft
7	Ida Lake	Douglas	A	16.4 ft	106 ft
8	Star Lake	Otter Tail	A	17 ft	94 ft
9	Upper Maple Lake	Wright	A	17.2 ft	76 ft
10	Fish Lake	Otter Tail	A	18 ft	69 ft
11	Birch Lake	Wright	A	15 ft	52 ft
12	Girl Lake	Cass	A	17.6 ft	81 ft
13	Little Toad Lake	Becker	A	15 ft	65 ft
14	Bass Lake	Crow Wing	A	16.1 ft	47 ft
15	Big Pine Lake	Aitkin	A	17 ft	78 ft
16	Strawberry Lake	Becker	A	17.5 ft	40 ft
17	Alexander Lake	Morrison	A	16.5 ft	64 ft
18	Gull Lake	Cass	A	15 ft	80 ft
19	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	A	18.5 ft	100 ft
20	Unnamed Lake	Otter Tail	A	15.1 ft	95 ft
21	Cowdry Lake	Douglas	A	17.1 ft	52 ft
22	Partridge Lake	Crow Wing	A	16.2 ft	42 ft
23	Andrusia Lake	Beltrami	A	15.1 ft	60 ft
24	Big Mcdonald Lake	Otter Tail	A	17.4 ft	46 ft
25	Island Lake	Crow Wing	A	15.1 ft	76 ft
26	Island Lake	Hubbard	A	16.4 ft	32 ft
27	Lizzie Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.4 ft	66 ft
28	Turtle Lake	Becker	A	23 ft	73 ft
29	Pickerel Lake	Becker	A	18 ft	74 ft
30	George Lake	Kandiyohi	A	15 ft	34 ft
31	Middle Cormorant Lake	Becker	A	15.1 ft	40 ft
32	Upper Bottle Lake	Hubbard	A	16 ft	55 ft
33	West Battle Lake	Otter Tail	A	18 ft	108 ft
34	Wabana Lake	Itasca	A	18 ft	115 ft
35	Little Mantrap Lake	Hubbard	A	17 ft	54 ft
36	West Sylvia Lake	Wright	A	22 ft	97 ft
37	Serpent Lake	Crow Wing	A	25 ft	65 ft
38	Little Mcdonald Lake	Otter Tail	A	26.5 ft	109 ft
39	Hand Lake	Cass	A	17 ft	57 ft
40	Courthouse Lake	Carver	A	18.9 ft	57 ft
41	Miltona Lake	Douglas	A	18.7 ft	105 ft
42	Mina Lake	Douglas	A	16 ft	123 ft
43	Bay Lake	Crow Wing	A	18.5 ft	74 ft
44	Big Watab Lake	Stearns	A	20.5 ft	123 ft
45	Rush Lake	Crow Wing	A	18 ft	105 ft
46	Elbow Lake	Otter Tail	A	18 ft	46 ft
47	Schultz Lake	St. Louis	A	15.5 ft	48 ft
48	Spider (Ne Lake	Hubbard	A	17.1 ft	96 ft
49	Rose Lake	Otter Tail	A	16 ft	137 ft
50	Ponto Lake	Cass	A	19 ft	60 ft

Showing top 50 of 926 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have black bullhead?

Black bullhead are found in 926 lakes in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is C (Fair).

What are the best black bullhead lakes in Minnesota?

The best black bullhead lakes in Minnesota by water quality are North Long Lake, Big Sugar Bush Lake, Long Lake, Long Lake, Long Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.