black bullhead Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 868 Minnesota lakes

Rough fish like black bullhead are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 868 Minnesota lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. black bullhead is widely distributed: 868 lakes in Minnesota and 0 in Wisconsin. That breadth means anglers in most counties of either state can find a documented black bullhead lake within a reasonable drive.

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

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

192

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best black bullhead Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	A	19 ft	100 ft
2	Big Sugar Bush Lake	Becker	A	17 ft	42 ft
3	Birch Lake	Wright	A	15 ft	52 ft
4	Round Lake	Aitkin	A	15.3 ft	59 ft
5	Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	A	15.1 ft	138 ft
6	Long Lake	Clearwater	A	20 ft	80 ft
7	Long Lake	Cass	A	21.8 ft	115 ft
8	Long Lake	Becker	A	20 ft	61 ft
9	Unnamed Lake	Otter Tail	A	15.1 ft	95 ft
10	Chippewa Lake	Douglas	A	15.1 ft	95 ft
11	Cowdry Lake	Douglas	A	17 ft	52 ft
12	Spearhead Lake	Hubbard	A	15 ft	81 ft
13	Ida Lake	Douglas	A	16.5 ft	106 ft
14	Star Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.7 ft	94 ft
15	Upper Maple Lake	Wright	A	18 ft	76 ft
16	Partridge Lake	Crow Wing	A	16.2 ft	42 ft
17	Fish Lake	Otter Tail	A	17.8 ft	69 ft
18	Andrusia Lake	Beltrami	A	15.5 ft	60 ft
19	Girl Lake	Cass	A	17 ft	81 ft
20	Little Toad Lake	Becker	A	15 ft	65 ft
21	Big Mcdonald Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.4 ft	46 ft
22	Bass Lake	Crow Wing	A	16.1 ft	47 ft
23	Island Lake	Crow Wing	A	15.3 ft	76 ft
24	Island Lake	Hubbard	A	16.4 ft	32 ft
25	Big Pine Lake	Aitkin	A	16.5 ft	78 ft
26	Lizzie Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.4 ft	66 ft
27	Turtle Lake	Becker	A	23 ft	73 ft
28	Pickerel Lake	Becker	A	18 ft	74 ft
29	Strawberry Lake	Becker	A	17.8 ft	40 ft
30	Alexander Lake	Morrison	A	16.5 ft	64 ft
31	George Lake	Kandiyohi	A	15 ft	34 ft
32	Middle Cormorant Lake	Becker	A	15.1 ft	40 ft
33	Upper Bottle Lake	Hubbard	A	16 ft	55 ft
34	Hand Lake	Cass	A	17 ft	57 ft
35	Courthouse Lake	Carver	A	20 ft	57 ft
36	Miltona Lake	Douglas	A	18.8 ft	105 ft
37	West Battle Lake	Otter Tail	A	18.2 ft	108 ft
38	Wabana Lake	Itasca	A	18 ft	115 ft
39	Little Mantrap Lake	Hubbard	A	17 ft	54 ft
40	West Sylvia Lake	Wright	A	22 ft	97 ft
41	Serpent Lake	Crow Wing	A	25 ft	65 ft
42	Mina Lake	Douglas	A	16 ft	123 ft
43	Little Mcdonald Lake	Otter Tail	A	26.9 ft	109 ft
44	Bay Lake	Crow Wing	A	19 ft	74 ft
45	Big Watab Lake	Stearns	A	20.5 ft	123 ft
46	White Bear Lake	Washington	A	15 ft	83 ft
47	11 Crow Wing Lake	Hubbard	A	18.4 ft	80 ft
48	Elbow Lake	Otter Tail	A	18.5 ft	46 ft
49	Rush Lake	Crow Wing	A	18 ft	105 ft
50	Schultz Lake	St. Louis	A	15.5 ft	48 ft

Showing top 50 of 868 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have black bullhead?

black bullhead are found in 868 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 Lower Hay Lake, Big Sugar Bush Lake, Birch Lake, Round Lake, Whitefish Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.