bowfin (dogfish) Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 634 Minnesota lakes

bowfin (dogfish) is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 634 lakes carry documentation. bowfin (dogfish) is widely distributed: 634 lakes in Minnesota. That breadth means anglers across most of the coverage area can find a documented bowfin (dogfish) lake within a reasonable drive.

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

634

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

210

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best bowfin (dogfish) Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	East Fox Lake	Crow Wing	A	16.4 ft	65 ft
2	North Long Lake	Crow Wing	A	15.1 ft	97 ft
3	Long Lake	Becker	A	19.3 ft	61 ft
4	Long Lake	Itasca	A	16.9 ft	85 ft
5	Ossawinnamakee Lake	Crow Wing	A	20 ft	63 ft
6	Clear Lake	Crow Wing	A	18 ft	63 ft
7	West Fox Lake	Crow Wing	A	15 ft	55 ft
8	Spearhead Lake	Hubbard	A	15 ft	81 ft
9	Ida Lake	Douglas	A	16.4 ft	106 ft
10	Star Lake	Otter Tail	A	17 ft	94 ft
11	Upper Maple Lake	Wright	A	17.2 ft	76 ft
12	Fish Lake	Otter Tail	A	18 ft	69 ft
13	Girl Lake	Cass	A	17.6 ft	81 ft
14	Little Toad Lake	Becker	A	15 ft	65 ft
15	Bass Lake	Crow Wing	A	16.1 ft	47 ft
16	Crooked Lake	Stearns	A	15.5 ft	35 ft
17	Crooked Lake	Crow Wing	A	15 ft	54 ft
18	Cedar Lake	Morrison	A	16.2 ft	88 ft
19	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.4 ft	55 ft
20	Big Pine Lake	Aitkin	A	17 ft	78 ft
21	Alexander Lake	Morrison	A	16.5 ft	64 ft
22	Gull Lake	Cass	A	15 ft	80 ft
23	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	A	18.5 ft	100 ft
24	Latoka Lake	Douglas	A	19 ft	108 ft
25	Unnamed Lake	Otter Tail	A	15.1 ft	95 ft
26	Maple Lake	Itasca	A	15.3 ft	39 ft
27	Trout Lake	Itasca	A	16 ft	135 ft
28	Cowdry Lake	Douglas	A	17.1 ft	52 ft
29	Andrusia Lake	Beltrami	A	15.1 ft	60 ft
30	Big Mcdonald Lake	Otter Tail	A	17.4 ft	46 ft
31	Island Lake	Cass	A	15.5 ft	45 ft
32	Island Lake	Becker	A	15 ft	38 ft
33	Island Lake	Crow Wing	A	15.1 ft	76 ft
34	Island Lake	Cass	A	17.5 ft	40 ft
35	Island Lake	Hubbard	A	16.4 ft	32 ft
36	Island Lake	Crow Wing	A	-	36 ft
37	Lizzie Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.4 ft	66 ft
38	Rice Lake	Itasca	A	15 ft	68 ft
39	Pokegama Lake	Itasca	A	16.1 ft	112 ft
40	George Lake	Kandiyohi	A	15 ft	34 ft
41	Ox Yoke Lake	Cass	A	17.5 ft	42 ft
42	West Battle Lake	Otter Tail	A	18 ft	108 ft
43	Kimball Lake	Crow Wing	A	18.4 ft	77 ft
44	West Sylvia Lake	Wright	A	22 ft	97 ft
45	Serpent Lake	Crow Wing	A	25 ft	65 ft
46	Hand Lake	Cass	A	17 ft	57 ft
47	Miltona Lake	Douglas	A	18.7 ft	105 ft
48	Hatch Lake	Itasca	A	15.3 ft	88 ft
49	Stuart Lake	Otter Tail	A	17.5 ft	49 ft
50	Mina Lake	Douglas	A	16 ft	123 ft

Showing top 50 of 634 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have bowfin (dogfish)?

bowfin (dogfish) are found in 634 lakes in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is C (Fair).

What are the best bowfin (dogfish) lakes in Minnesota?

The best bowfin (dogfish) lakes in Minnesota by water quality are East Fox Lake, North Long Lake, Long Lake, Long Lake, Ossawinnamakee Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.