Brook Silverside Lakes in Michigan

Found in 45 Michigan lakes

Rough fish like Brook Silverside are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 45 Michigan lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Brook Silverside is narrowly distributed — only 45 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 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.

Michigan Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Brook Silverside Lakes Map

Every Michigan lake with documented brook silverside, colored by water-quality grade.

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Best Brook Silverside Lakes in Michigan

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Windover Lake South Basin; Freeman Township	Clare	A	15 ft	-
2	Ore Lake West Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	A	10 ft	-
3	Long Lake South Central Basin	Cass	A	10.5 ft	-
4	Farewell Lake West Basin; Hanover Township	Jackson	A	11.8 ft	-
5	Murray Lake East Basin; Grattan Township	Kent	A	7.2 ft	-
6	Round Lake	Benzie	A	15 ft	-
7	Sand Lake Central Basin; Cambridge Township	Lenawee	A	13.5 ft	-
8	Round Lake Central Basin	Lenawee	A	12 ft	-
9	Long Lake	Gogebic	A	12 ft	-
10	Cordley Lake Central Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	A	-	-
11	Portage Lake South Basin; Dexter Township	Washtenaw	B	13 ft	-
12	Tamarack Lake North Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	B	7 ft	-
13	Base Line Lake Northeast Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	B	10.5 ft	-
14	Rose Lake	Shiawassee	D	5 ft	-
15	Round Lake	Shiawassee	D	6 ft	-
16	Shavehead Lake East Basin; Porter Township	Cass	NR	7 ft	-
17	Long Lake	Cass	NR	10.5 ft	-
18	Windover Lake	Clare	NR	15 ft	-
19	Middle Lake	Lapeer	NR	9 ft	-
20	Shavehead Lake	Cass	NR	7 ft	-
21	Farewell Lake	Jackson	NR	11.5 ft	-
22	Clark Lake	Livingston	NR	12 ft	-
23	Eagle Lake	Cass	NR	6 ft	-
24	Rose Lake	Shiawassee	NR	5.5 ft	-
25	Paw Paw Lake	Hillsdale	NR	8 ft	-
26	Round Lake	Mecosta	NR	8.5 ft	-
27	Eagle Lake	Allegan	NR	14 ft	-
28	Long Lake	Gogebic	NR	11.5 ft	-
29	Union Lake	Branch	NR	3.5 ft	-
30	Round Lake	Shiawassee	NR	6.5 ft	-
31	Paw Paw Lake	Kalamazoo	NR	9 ft	-
32	Round Lake	Oakland	NR	10 ft	-
33	Long Lake	Benzie	NR	11.5 ft	-
34	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	NR	24 ft	-
35	Paw Paw Lake	Hillsdale	NR	8 ft	-
36	Round Lake	Benzie	NR	15 ft	-
37	Diamond Lake	Osceola	NR	16 ft	-
38	Devils Lake	Lenawee	NR	10.8 ft	-
39	Font Lake	Charlevoix	NR	5 ft	-
40	Baldwin Lake Northwest Basin	Cass	NR	8 ft	-
41	Long Lake	Cheboygan	NR	18 ft	-
42	Round Lake	Kent	NR	8 ft	-
43	Baldwins Lake	Cass	NR	8 ft	-
44	Round Lake	Lenawee	NR	12.5 ft	-
45	Maston Lake	Kent	NR	-	-

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michigan lakes have brook silverside?

Brook Silverside are found in 45 lakes in Michigan. The average water quality grade of these lakes is B (Good).

What are the best brook silverside lakes in Michigan?

The best brook silverside lakes in Michigan by water quality are Windover Lake South Basin; Freeman Township, Ore Lake West Basin; Hamburg Township, Long Lake South Central Basin, Farewell Lake West Basin; Hanover Township, Murray Lake East Basin; Grattan Township.

Fish species from state agency survey, stocking, and public fishing-access records; water-quality grades from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys.