Bluntnose minnow Lakes in Minnesota & Wisconsin

Other SpeciesFound in 188 lakes

Bluntnose minnow is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 188 lakes carry documentation. Bluntnose minnow is moderately distributed — present in 0 Minnesota lakes and 188 Wisconsin lakes. Some counties have it, others do not, so checking the per-lake pages matters.

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 Bluntnose minnow lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Bluntnose minnow documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

188

Total Lakes

Minnesota

188

Wisconsin

Avg. Grade

Water Quality of Bluntnose minnow Lakes

37%

20%

Best Bluntnose minnow Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with bluntnose minnow ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Windover Lake South Basin; Freeman Township	Clare	MI	A	-	8
2	Squaw Lake	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	8
3	Sanford Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	17
4	Corey Lake	St. Joseph	MI	A	-	13
5	Windover Lake	Clare	MI	A	-	8
6	Twin Lake	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	13
7	Whitefish Lake Southeast Basin; Pierson Township	Montcalm	MI	A	-	21
8	Whitefish Lake	Montcalm	MI	A	-	21
9	Eagle Lake	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	5
10	Avery Lake North Basin; T29nr2e	Montmorency	MI	A	-	9
11	Opal Lake Central Basin;Otesgo Lake Township Sec12	Otsego	MI	A	-	12
12	Pickerel Lake Central Basin;Cold Springs Township Section 25	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	4
13	Pickerel Lake	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	29
14	Big Twin Lake Southeast Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	9
15	Round Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	37
16	Bear Lake Southeast Basin	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	9
17	Cub Lake Central Basin	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	14
18	Lake Margrethe	Crawford	MI	A	-	21
19	Long Lake North Central Basin; Long Lake Township	Grand Traverse	MI	A	-	10
20	Higgins Lake Northwest Basin	Roscommon	MI	A	-	12
21	Eagle Lake Central Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	5
22	Avery Lake	Montmorency	MI	A	-	9
23	Indian Lake Northeast Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	11
24	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	MI	A	-	40
25	Beaver Lake Central Basin; Ossineke Township	Alpena	MI	A	-	15
26	Eagle Lake East Basin; Paw Paw Township	Van Buren	MI	A	-	12
27	Cub Lake	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	5
28	Opal Lake	Otsego	MI	A	-	11
29	Eagle Lake	Van Buren	MI	A	-	12
30	Round Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	37
31	Diamond Lake	Osceola	MI	A	-	25
32	Lower Herring Lake East Basin; Blaire Township	Benzie	MI	A	-	25
33	Burt Lake	Cheboygan	MI	A	-	33
34	Big Bear Lake East Basin; Charlton Township T29n R1w. Section 1	Otsego	MI	A	-	3
35	Lake Geneserath	Charlevoix	MI	A	-	12
36	Silver Lake	Cheboygan	MI	A	-	15
37	Long Lake	Cheboygan	MI	A	-	40
38	Big Bear Lake	Otsego	MI	A	-	3
39	Lime Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	15
40	Bass Lake Northeast Basin	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	12
41	Susan Lake	Charlevoix	MI	A	-	12
42	Walloon Lake	Emmet	MI	A	-	20
43	Crooked Lake	Emmet	MI	A	-	26
44	Spring Lake	Emmet	MI	A	-	15
45	Elk Lake	Antrim	MI	A	-	27
46	Mack Lake; Mentor Township; Section 9	Oscoda	MI	A	-	6
47	Big Blue Lake North Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	17
48	Cordley Lake Central Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	MI	A	-	7
49	Loon Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	13
50	Silver Lake	Washtenaw	MI	A	-	15

Showing top 50 of 188 lakes with bluntnose minnow.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have bluntnose minnow?

Bluntnose minnow are found in 188 lakes across Minnesota and Wisconsin, 0 in Minnesota and 188 in Wisconsin. The average water quality grade of lakes with bluntnose minnow is B (Good).

What are the best lakes for bluntnose minnow?

The best bluntnose minnow lakes by water quality are Windover Lake South Basin; Freeman Township, Squaw Lake, Sanford Lake, Corey Lake, Windover Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where bluntnose minnow have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with bluntnose minnow?

Bluntnose minnow are most commonly found alongside yellow perch, bluegill, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, iowa darter. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.