brown bullhead Lakes in Minnesota & Wisconsin

Other SpeciesFound in 808 lakes

Rough fish like brown bullhead are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 808 Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. brown bullhead is widely distributed: 808 lakes in Minnesota and 0 in Wisconsin. That breadth means anglers in most counties of either state can find a documented brown bullhead 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 brown bullhead lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and brown bullhead documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

808

Total Lakes

808

Minnesota

Wisconsin

Avg. Grade

46 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of brown bullhead Lakes

300

37%

209

26%

158

20%

101

13%

Best brown bullhead Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with brown bullhead ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	East Fox Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	65 ft	15
2	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	100 ft	21
3	Big Sugar Bush Lake	Becker	MN	A	42 ft	13
4	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	55 ft	20
5	Birch Lake	Wright	MN	A	52 ft	9
6	Round Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	59 ft	15
7	Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	138 ft	23
8	Horseshoe Lake	Cass	MN	A	51 ft	12
9	Long Lake	Clearwater	MN	A	80 ft	15
10	Long Lake	Cass	MN	A	115 ft	14
11	Long Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	87 ft	11
12	Long Lake	Becker	MN	A	61 ft	16
13	Long Lake	Cass	MN	A	37 ft	12
14	Long Lake	Itasca	MN	A	85 ft	12
15	Dead Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	34 ft	9
16	Unnamed Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	95 ft	17
17	Trout Lake	Itasca	MN	A	135 ft	15
18	Chippewa Lake	Douglas	MN	A	95 ft	19
19	Cowdry Lake	Douglas	MN	A	52 ft	19
20	Ossawinnamakee Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	63 ft	18
21	Clear Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	24 ft	14
22	Clear Lake	Itasca	MN	A	30 ft	9
23	Blue Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	84 ft	13
24	West Fox Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	55 ft	15
25	Spearhead Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	81 ft	17
26	Ida Lake	Douglas	MN	A	106 ft	19
27	Star Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	94 ft	17
28	Upper Maple Lake	Wright	MN	A	76 ft	15
29	Partridge Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	42 ft	10
30	Fish Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	69 ft	17
31	Sand Lake	Cass	MN	A	54 ft	12
32	Roger Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	64 ft	12
33	Andrusia Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	60 ft	21
34	Girl Lake	Cass	MN	A	81 ft	18
35	Little Toad Lake	Becker	MN	A	65 ft	15
36	Charlotte Lake	Wright	MN	A	46 ft	10
37	Big Mcdonald Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	46 ft	15
38	Island Lake	Cass	MN	A	45 ft	12
39	Island Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	76 ft	19
40	Island Lake	Cass	MN	A	40 ft	13
41	Island Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	32 ft	13
42	Crooked Lake	Stearns	MN	A	35 ft	10
43	Crooked Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	54 ft	16
44	Cedar Lake	Morrison	MN	A	88 ft	14
45	Big Pine Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	78 ft	15
46	Lizzie Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	66 ft	21
47	Turtle Lake	Becker	MN	A	73 ft	13
48	Lower Bottle Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	110 ft	13
49	Pokegama Lake	Itasca	MN	A	112 ft	19
50	Pickerel Lake	Becker	MN	A	74 ft	14

Showing top 50 of 808 lakes with brown bullhead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have brown bullhead?

brown bullhead are found in 808 lakes across Minnesota and Wisconsin, 808 in Minnesota and 0 in Wisconsin. The average water quality grade of lakes with brown bullhead is B (Good).

What are the best lakes for brown bullhead?

The best brown bullhead lakes by water quality are East Fox Lake, Lower Hay Lake, Big Sugar Bush Lake, Pelican Lake, Birch Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where brown bullhead have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with brown bullhead?

brown bullhead are most commonly found alongside northern pike, bluegill, black crappie, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.