Blacknose Shiner Lakes in Michigan, 84 Lakes

Rough fish like Blacknose Shiner are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 84 Michigan lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Blacknose Shiner is narrowly distributed — only 84 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 phosphorus and chlorophyll-a readings on: a rough-fish-heavy fishery often reflects an underlying nutrient-loading problem in the watershed. Cross-reference the Blacknose Shiner lake list below against each lake's clarity, phosphorus and algae readings: lakes with low nutrient readings and Blacknose Shiner documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Michigan Lakes

Counties

Blacknose Shiner Lakes Map

Every Michigan lake with documented blacknose shiner.

Loading map…

Best Blacknose Shiner Lakes in Michigan

Rank	Lake	County	Clarity	Depth
1	Emerald Lake	Kent	11.5 ft	-
2	Hanbury Lake	Dickinson	14 ft	-
3	Derby Lake	Montcalm	14 ft	87 ft
4	Big Blue Lake	Kalkaska	24 ft	-
5	Muskellunge Lake	Kent	13.5 ft	-
6	Murray Lake	Kent	9 ft	-
7	Clear Lake	Jackson	10.5 ft	34 ft
8	Round Lake	Lenawee	12.3 ft	67 ft
9	Sylvan Lake	Oakland	10.3 ft	-
10	Round Lake	Benzie	15 ft	-
11	Otter Lake	Benzie	12 ft	-
12	Spring Lake	Emmet	-	-
13	Lake Richie	Keweenaw	9.2 ft	-
14	Lake Harvey	Keweenaw	10.4 ft	-
15	Pleasant Lake	Oakland	10 ft	-
16	Papoose Lake	Kalkaska	22 ft	17 ft
17	Walloon Lake	Emmet	-	-
18	Round Lake	Shiawassee	6 ft	-
19	Lake Bellaire	Antrim	12.5 ft	95 ft
20	Long Lake	Gogebic	12 ft	60 ft
21	Hanbury Lake	Dickinson	14 ft	-
22	Chippewa Lake	Mecosta	11 ft	40 ft
23	Pleasant Lake	Wexford	9 ft	10 ft
24	Shavehead Lake	Cass	8 ft	70 ft
25	Fishers Lake	St. Joseph	10.5 ft	42 ft
26	Clear Lake	Ogemaw	15 ft	50 ft
27	Clark Lake	Jackson	10 ft	50 ft
28	Shavehead Lake	Cass	8.5 ft	70 ft
29	Lake Fenton	Genesee	17.5 ft	90 ft
30	Twin Lake	Kalkaska	23 ft	80 ft
31	Emerald Lake	Newaygo	13.5 ft	49 ft
32	Eagle Lake	Cass	7 ft	35 ft
33	Muskellunge Lake	Montcalm	11 ft	37 ft
34	Bear Lake	Manistee	11 ft	6 ft
35	Farewell Lake	Jackson	13.8 ft	43 ft
36	Pickerel Lake	Kalkaska	20 ft	72 ft
37	Eagle Lake	Allegan	15 ft	-
38	Evans Lake	Lenawee	14 ft	42 ft
39	Resort Lake	Menominee	8.5 ft	41 ft
40	Sylvan Lake	Newaygo	16 ft	63 ft
41	Tamarack Lake	Livingston	7 ft	34 ft
42	Squaw Lake	Kalkaska	15 ft	5 ft
43	Cool Lake	Lake	19.5 ft	43 ft
44	Three Mile Lake North	Van Buren	8 ft	-
45	Sand Lake	Lake	19 ft	50 ft
46	Threemile Lake	Van Buren	8 ft	35 ft
47	Font Lake	Charlevoix	5 ft	7 ft
48	Barneys Lake	Charlevoix	10 ft	12 ft
49	Otter Lake	Oakland	10.3 ft	70 ft
50	Bloomfield Lake	Oakland	3.5 ft	-

Showing top 50 of 84 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michigan lakes have blacknose shiner?

Blacknose Shiner are found in 84 lakes in Michigan.

What are the best blacknose shiner lakes in Michigan?

The best blacknose shiner lakes in Michigan by water quality are Emerald Lake, Hanbury Lake, Derby Lake, Big Blue Lake, Muskellunge Lake.

Fish species from state agency survey, stocking, and public fishing-access records; water-quality readings from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys.