Black bullhead Lakes in North Dakota
Found in 36 North Dakota lakes · 28 in Michigan
Rough fish like Black bullhead are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 28 North Dakota 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.
Black bullhead Lakes Map
Every North Dakota lake with documented black bullhead, colored by water-quality grade.
Best Black bullhead Lakes in North Dakota
| Rank | Lake | County | Grade | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wood Lake | Benson | A | - | 26.2 ft |
| 2 | Arnegard Dam Lake | McKenzie | A | - | 12.2 ft |
| 3 | Epping-Springbrook Dam-Littoral Lake | Williams | A | - | 25.4 ft |
| 4 | Round Lake | McHenry | A | 12.1 ft | 16.7 ft |
| 5 | Patterson Lake | Stark | B | - | 24.8 ft |
| 6 | Lake Ashtabula | Barnes | B | 3.4 ft | 42.8 ft |
| 7 | Lake Ashtabula | Barnes | B | 6.6 ft | 42.8 ft |
| 8 | Pheasant Lake | Dickey | B | 3.6 ft | 19.1 ft |
| 9 | Homme Dam Lake | Walsh | B | 5.7 ft | 29.3 ft |
| 10 | Fordville Dam Lake | Grand Forks | C | 4.4 ft | 29.9 ft |
| 11 | Lake Metigoshe | Bottineau | C | 5.4 ft | 23.3 ft |
| 12 | Lake Tschida | Grant | C | 5.1 ft | 57 ft |
| 13 | Lake Lamoure | LaMoure | C | 8 ft | 31.4 ft |
| 14 | Lake Tschida | Grant | C | 5.2 ft | 57 ft |
| 15 | Beaver Lake | Logan | C | 1.4 ft | 7.9 ft |
| 16 | Harvey Dam Lake | Wells | C | 5.4 ft | 20.2 ft |
| 17 | Epping-Springbrook Dam-S Inlet Lake | Williams | C | - | 25.4 ft |
| 18 | South Golden Lake | Steele | C | 6.2 ft | 17 ft |
| 19 | North Golden Lake | Steele | C | 3.8 ft | 12.6 ft |
| 20 | Lake Tschida | Grant | C | 2.4 ft | 57 ft |
| 21 | Lake Tschida | Grant | C | 3.6 ft | 57 ft |
| 22 | Bowman-Haley Dam Lake | Bowman | C | 3.9 ft | 27.8 ft |
| 23 | E. A. Patterson Lake | Stark | D | 5.3 ft | 18.4 ft |
| 24 | Larimore Dam Lake | Grand Forks | D | 3 ft | 28.2 ft |
| 25 | Pelican Lake | Ramsey | D | 3.7 ft | 29.3 ft |
| 26 | Epping-Springbrook Dam-Deepest Lake | Williams | D | 4.9 ft | 25.4 ft |
| 27 | Dry Lake | Ramsey | D | 2.8 ft | 24.1 ft |
| 28 | Warsing Dam Lake | Eddy | D | 2.3 ft | 22.7 ft |
| 29 | Dead Colt Creek Dam Lake | Ransom | F | 3.3 ft | 39.4 ft |
| 30 | Juanita Lake | Foster | F | 1 ft | 9.9 ft |
| 31 | Sweetbriar Dam Lake | Morton | F | 3 ft | 29.9 ft |
| 32 | Sweet Briar Dam-Mid Reservoir | Morton | F | 3 ft | 29.9 ft |
| 33 | Cedar Lake | Slope | F | 1.3 ft | 14.2 ft |
| 34 | Mirror Lake | Adams | F | 2.1 ft | 16.1 ft |
| 35 | Niagara Dam Lake | Grand Forks | F | 1 ft | 22 ft |
| 36 | Harmon Lake | Morton | F | - | 46.8 ft |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many North Dakota lakes have black bullhead?
Black bullhead are found in 36 lakes in North Dakota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is C (Fair).
What are the best black bullhead lakes in North Dakota?
The best black bullhead lakes in North Dakota by water quality are Wood Lake, Arnegard Dam Lake, Epping-Springbrook Dam-Littoral Lake, Round Lake, Patterson Lake.
Fish species from state agency survey, stocking, and public fishing-access records; water-quality grades from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys.