Brown bullhead Lakes in Michigan

Found in 50 Michigan lakes

Rough fish like Brown bullhead are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 50 Michigan lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Brown bullhead is narrowly distributed — only 50 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 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.

Michigan Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Brown bullhead Lakes in Michigan

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Twin Lake	Kalkaska	A	23 ft	-
2	Big Twin Lake Southeast Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	A	23 ft	-
3	Pickerel Lake	Kalkaska	A	15 ft	-
4	Lake Margrethe	Crawford	A	16 ft	-
5	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	A	24 ft	-
6	Beaver Lake Central Basin; Ossineke Township	Alpena	A	16 ft	-
7	Beaver Lake	Alpena	A	16 ft	-
8	Diamond Lake	Osceola	A	16 ft	-
9	Monocle Lake	Chippewa	A	16 ft	-
10	Lower Herring Lake East Basin; Blaire Township	Benzie	A	16 ft	-
11	Burt Lake	Cheboygan	A	15.5 ft	-
12	Lake Geneserath	Charlevoix	A	16.5 ft	-
13	Long Lake	Cheboygan	A	18 ft	-
14	Douglas Lake	Otsego	A	16.5 ft	-
15	Lime Lake	Benzie	A	17.5 ft	-
16	Walloon Lake	Emmet	A	-	-
17	Crooked Lake	Emmet	A	-	-
18	Rennie Lake; Central Basin; East Bay Township	Grand Traverse	A	13 ft	-
19	Clear Lake East Basin; Waterloo Township	Jackson	A	10 ft	-
20	Otter Lake	Benzie	A	12 ft	-
21	Duck Lake; Center of Deepest Basin; Fruitland Township	Muskegon	A	10.5 ft	-
22	Chippewa Lake	Mecosta	B	11.5 ft	-
23	Rennie Lake	Grand Traverse	B	13 ft	-
24	Beaver Lake	Keweenaw	B	8 ft	-
25	Duck Lake	Muskegon	B	10.5 ft	-
26	Murray Lake East Basin; Grattan Township	Kent	B	7.2 ft	-
27	Long Lake	Gogebic	B	11.5 ft	-
28	Long Lake	Benzie	B	11.5 ft	-
29	Clear Lake	Jackson	B	10 ft	-
30	Barneys Lake	Charlevoix	B	10 ft	-
31	Otter Lake	Oakland	B	10 ft	-
32	Crooked Lake	Barry	B	10 ft	-
33	Barneys Lake	Charlevoix	B	10 ft	-
34	Otter Lake	Benzie	B	12 ft	-
35	Lower Herring Lake	Benzie	B	13.8 ft	-
36	Douglas Lake	Cheboygan	B	12 ft	-
37	Pettibone Lake North Basin	Newaygo	B	11.5 ft	-
38	Long Lake	Gogebic	B	12 ft	-
39	Upper Herring Lake; Central Basin; Blaine Township	Benzie	B	8 ft	-
40	Shavehead Lake East Basin; Porter Township	Cass	C	7 ft	-
41	Middle Lake	Lapeer	C	9 ft	-
42	Shavehead Lake	Cass	C	7 ft	-
43	Cedar Lake	Alcona	C	8 ft	-
44	Muskellunge Lake	Montcalm	C	9.5 ft	-
45	Upper Herring Lake	Benzie	C	7.5 ft	-
46	Pickerel Lake	Emmet	C	9.5 ft	-
47	Maston Lake	Kent	C	9 ft	-
48	Duck Lake	Muskegon	C	8.5 ft	-
49	Carter Lake	Barry	D	4 ft	-
50	Carter Lake Northwest Basin	Barry	D	4.5 ft	-

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michigan lakes have brown bullhead?

Brown bullhead are found in 50 lakes in Michigan. The average water quality grade of these lakes is B (Good).

What are the best brown bullhead lakes in Michigan?

The best brown bullhead lakes in Michigan by water quality are Twin Lake, Big Twin Lake Southeast Basin; Blue Lake Township, Pickerel Lake, Lake Margrethe, Long Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.