Bluntnose minnow Lakes in Michigan

Found in 171 Michigan 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. 171 lakes carry documentation. Bluntnose minnow is moderately distributed — 171 lakes in Michigan. 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.

171

Michigan Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Bluntnose minnow Lakes in Michigan

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Windover Lake South Basin; Freeman Township	Clare	A	15 ft	-
2	Sanford Lake	Benzie	A	15.8 ft	-
3	Squaw Lake	Kalkaska	A	16 ft	-
4	Corey Lake	St. Joseph	A	16 ft	-
5	Windover Lake	Clare	A	15 ft	-
6	Twin Lake	Kalkaska	A	23 ft	-
7	Whitefish Lake Southeast Basin; Pierson Township	Montcalm	A	16 ft	-
8	Whitefish Lake	Montcalm	A	16.8 ft	-
9	Eagle Lake	Kalkaska	A	17 ft	-
10	Big Twin Lake Southeast Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	A	23 ft	-
11	Cub Lake Central Basin	Kalkaska	A	19 ft	-
12	Pickerel Lake	Kalkaska	A	15 ft	-
13	Round Lake	Benzie	A	15 ft	-
14	Bear Lake Southeast Basin	Kalkaska	A	36.5 ft	-
15	Lake Margrethe	Crawford	A	16 ft	-
16	Long Lake North Central Basin; Long Lake Township	Grand Traverse	A	23.8 ft	-
17	Avery Lake	Montmorency	A	27 ft	-
18	Higgins Lake Northwest Basin	Roscommon	A	34.5 ft	-
19	Eagle Lake Central Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	A	17 ft	-
20	Indian Lake Northeast Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	A	15.5 ft	-
21	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	A	24 ft	-
22	Beaver Lake Central Basin; Ossineke Township	Alpena	A	16 ft	-
23	Eagle Lake East Basin; Paw Paw Township	Van Buren	A	17 ft	-
24	Cub Lake	Kalkaska	A	19.5 ft	-
25	Opal Lake	Otsego	A	18.5 ft	-
26	Eagle Lake	Van Buren	A	15 ft	-
27	Round Lake	Benzie	A	15 ft	-
28	Diamond Lake	Osceola	A	16 ft	-
29	Lower Herring Lake East Basin; Blaire Township	Benzie	A	16 ft	-
30	Burt Lake	Cheboygan	A	15.5 ft	-
31	Silver Lake	Cheboygan	A	32 ft	-
32	Lake Geneserath	Charlevoix	A	16.5 ft	-
33	Long Lake	Cheboygan	A	18 ft	-
34	Big Bear Lake	Otsego	A	15 ft	-
35	Lime Lake	Benzie	A	17.5 ft	-
36	Bass Lake Northeast Basin	Kalkaska	A	18.5 ft	-
37	Susan Lake	Charlevoix	A	-	-
38	Walloon Lake	Emmet	A	-	-
39	Crooked Lake	Emmet	A	-	-
40	Spring Lake	Emmet	A	-	-
41	Elk Lake	Antrim	A	-	-
42	Big Blue Lake North Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	A	-	-
43	Cordley Lake Central Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	A	-	-
44	Loon Lake	Benzie	A	12.1 ft	-
45	Silver Lake	Washtenaw	A	11.5 ft	-
46	Bass Lake	Leelanau	A	11.2 ft	-
47	Rennie Lake; Central Basin; East Bay Township	Grand Traverse	A	13 ft	-
48	Squaw Lake Central Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	A	16 ft	-
49	Farewell Lake West Basin; Hanover Township	Jackson	A	11.8 ft	-
50	Beaver Lake	Alger	A	14.7 ft	-

Showing top 50 of 171 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michigan lakes have bluntnose minnow?

Bluntnose minnow are found in 171 lakes in Michigan. The average water quality grade of these lakes is B (Good).

What are the best bluntnose minnow lakes in Michigan?

The best bluntnose minnow lakes in Michigan by water quality are Windover Lake South Basin; Freeman Township, Sanford Lake, Squaw Lake, Corey Lake, Windover Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.