Bowfin Fishing Guide, 20 Best-Graded Lakes

Bowfin is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 20 lakes carry documentation. Bowfin is narrowly distributed — only 20 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 Bowfin lake list below against the letter grades: lakes with both an A or B grade and Bowfin documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

Michigan lakes →

Avg. Grade

53 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Bowfin Lakes

10%

Best Bowfin Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with bowfin ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Murray Lake	Kent	MI	A	-	29
2	Clear Lake	Jackson	MI	A	34 ft	17
3	Bass Lake	Leelanau	MI	B	-	13
4	Clear Lake	Ogemaw	MI	NR	50 ft	16
5	Wall Lake	Barry	MI	NR	36 ft	18
6	Pickerel Lake	Kalkaska	MI	NR	72 ft	29
7	Bass Lake	Livingston	MI	NR	73 ft	2
8	Bass Lake	Montcalm	MI	NR	28 ft	13
9	Jordan Lake	Barry	MI	NR	-	23
10	Portage Lake	Jackson	MI	NR	40 ft	34
11	Lake Oakland	Oakland	MI	NR	64 ft	1
12	Clear Lake	Oakland	MI	NR	-	16
13	Whitmore Lake	Livingston	MI	NR	69 ft	1
14	Diamond Lake	Newaygo	MI	NR	25 ft	25
15	Paw Paw Lake	Hillsdale	MI	NR	-	4
16	Paw Paw Lake	Kalamazoo	MI	NR	50 ft	4
17	Diamond Lake	Osceola	MI	NR	60 ft	25
18	Burt Lake	Cheboygan	MI	NR	73 ft	33
19	Pickerel Lake	Emmet	MI	NR	74 ft	22
20	Donnell Lake	Cass	MI	NR	-	26

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have bowfin?

Bowfin are found in 20 graded lakes: 20 in Michigan. The average water quality grade of lakes with bowfin is A (Excellent).

What are the best lakes for bowfin?

The best bowfin lakes by water quality are Murray Lake, Clear Lake, Bass Lake, Clear Lake, Wall Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where bowfin have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with bowfin?

Bowfin are most commonly found alongside bluegill, bluntnose minnow, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, iowa darter. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Bowfin Lakes

Bluegill Lakes

Found together in 17 lakes · 1,550 total

Bluntnose Minnow Lakes

Found together in 15 lakes · 160 total

Pumpkinseed Lakes

Found together in 13 lakes · 1,328 total

Brown Bullhead Lakes

Found together in 12 lakes · 861 total

Iowa Darter Lakes

Found together in 12 lakes · 126 total

Largemouth Bass Lakes

Found together in 12 lakes · 2,489 total

Fish species from state agency survey, stocking, and public fishing-access records; water-quality grades from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys. Species profiles are general reference; always check current state regulations before fishing.