Brook silverside Lakes in Minnesota & Wisconsin

Other SpeciesFound in 50 lakes

Rough fish like Brook silverside are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 50 Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Brook silverside is narrowly distributed — only 0 Minnesota lakes and 50 Wisconsin lakes 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 Brook silverside lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Brook silverside documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

Minnesota

Wisconsin

Avg. Grade

Water Quality of Brook silverside Lakes

28%

32%

28%

12%

Best Brook silverside Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with brook silverside 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	Windover Lake	Clare	MI	A	-	8
3	Round Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	37
4	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	MI	A	-	40
5	Round Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	37
6	Diamond Lake	Osceola	MI	A	-	25
7	Long Lake	Cheboygan	MI	A	-	40
8	Cordley Lake Central Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	MI	A	-	7
9	Ore Lake West Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	MI	A	-	14
10	Farewell Lake West Basin; Hanover Township	Jackson	MI	A	-	18
11	Maceday Lake Central Basin; Waterford Township Section 7	Oakland	MI	A	-	26
12	Long Lake; Lake Township; Section 31	Benzie	MI	A	-	40
13	Sand Lake Central Basin; Cambridge Township	Lenawee	MI	A	-	6
14	Round Lake Central Basin	Lenawee	MI	A	-	25
15	Middle Lake; Elba Township; Section 13	Lapeer	MI	B	-	20
16	Long Lake	Cass	MI	B	-	25
17	Portage Lake South Basin; Dexter Township	Washtenaw	MI	B	-	26
18	Long Lake South Central Basin	Cass	MI	B	-	25
19	Farewell Lake	Jackson	MI	B	-	18
20	Clark Lake	Livingston	MI	B	-	20
21	Round Lake; Independence Township; Section 2	Oakland	MI	B	-	37
22	Murray Lake East Basin; Grattan Township	Kent	MI	B	-	29
23	Eagle Lake	Allegan	MI	B	-	30
24	Long Lake	Gogebic	MI	B	-	40
25	Round Lake	Oakland	MI	B	-	37
26	Long Lake	Benzie	MI	B	-	40
27	Base Line Lake Northeast Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	MI	B	-	16
28	Devils Lake	Lenawee	MI	B	-	27
29	Round Lake	Lenawee	MI	B	-	23
30	Long Lake	Gogebic	MI	B	-	40
31	Shavehead Lake East Basin; Porter Township	Cass	MI	C	-	25
32	Middle Lake	Lapeer	MI	C	-	20
33	Shavehead Lake	Cass	MI	C	-	26
34	Paw Paw Lake	Hillsdale	MI	C	-	4
35	Round Lake	Mecosta	MI	C	-	37
36	Tamarack Lake North Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	MI	C	-	20
37	Paw Paw Lake	Kalamazoo	MI	C	-	4
38	Paw Paw Lake	Hillsdale	MI	C	-	4
39	Baldwin Lake Northwest Basin	Cass	MI	C	-	25
40	Round Lake	Kent	MI	C	-	37
41	Baldwins Lake	Cass	MI	C	-	33
42	Maston Lake	Kent	MI	C	-	13
43	Rose Lake	Shiawassee	MI	C	-	17
44	Round Lake	Shiawassee	MI	C	-	37
45	Eagle Lake	Cass	MI	D	-	22
46	Rose Lake	Shiawassee	MI	D	-	17
47	Union Lake	Branch	MI	D	-	22
48	Round Lake	Shiawassee	MI	D	-	37
49	Font Lake	Charlevoix	MI	D	-	8
50	Font Lake; Section 27	Charlevoix	MI	D	-	8

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have brook silverside?

Brook silverside are found in 50 lakes across Minnesota and Wisconsin, 0 in Minnesota and 50 in Wisconsin. The average water quality grade of lakes with brook silverside is B (Good).

What are the best lakes for brook silverside?

The best brook silverside lakes by water quality are Windover Lake South Basin; Freeman Township, Windover Lake, Round Lake, Long Lake, Round Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where brook silverside have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with brook silverside?

Brook silverside are most commonly found alongside bluegill, bluntnose minnow, western banded killifish, yellow perch, largemouth bass. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.