Catfish Lakes in Minnesota, Wisconsin & Michigan

Other SpeciesFound in 54 lakes

Rough fish like Catfish are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 54 Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Catfish is narrowly distributed — only 54 lakes in Wisconsin 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 Catfish lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Catfish documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

Wisconsin lakes →

Avg. Grade

60 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Catfish Lakes

15%

28%

17%

39%

Best Catfish Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with catfish ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Little Hills Lake	Waushara	WI	A	20 ft	5
2	Green Lake	Green Lake	WI	B	236 ft	7
3	Silver Lake	Kenosha	WI	B	44 ft	7
4	Bughs Lake	Waushara	WI	B	18 ft	4
5	Green Lake	Green Lake	WI	B	236 ft	7
6	Chippewa Flowage Lake	Sawyer	WI	B	92 ft	8
7	Green Lake	Green Lake	WI	B	236 ft	7
8	Lake St. Croix	St. Croix	WI	B	60 ft	7
9	Green Lake East Basin	Green Lake	WI	B	236 ft	7
10	Chippewa Flowage -Pokegema Lake	Sawyer	WI	C	92 ft	8
11	Green Lake	Green Lake	WI	C	236 ft	7
12	White Lake	Waupaca	WI	C	10 ft	5
13	Chippewa Flowage -North of Cranberry Bars Lake	Sawyer	WI	C	92 ft	8
14	Amacoy Lake	Rusk	WI	C	20 ft	7
15	Chippewa Flowage -Moore'S Bay Lake	Sawyer	WI	C	92 ft	8
16	Chippewa Flowage -Winter Dam Lake	Sawyer	WI	C	92 ft	8
17	Yellow Lake	Burnett	WI	C	31 ft	8
18	Tichigan Lake	Racine	WI	C	63 ft	7
19	Voltz Lake	Kenosha	WI	C	24 ft	4
20	Kendal Lake	Iowa	WI	C	17 ft	5
21	City Millpond	Green Lake	WI	C	236 ft	7
22	Lake Puckaway	Green Lake	WI	C	5 ft	6
23	Lake Kegonsa	Dane	WI	C	32 ft	7
24	Lake Mendota	Dane	WI	C	83 ft	8
25	Wind Lake	Racine	WI	D	47 ft	6
26	Wind Lake	Racine	WI	D	47 ft	6
27	Lake Waubesa	Dane	WI	D	38 ft	7
28	Danbury Flowage Lake	Burnett	WI	D	10 ft	8
29	Clam Lake	Burnett	WI	D	11 ft	7
30	Moon Bay Lake	Chippewa	WI	D	64.4 ft	8
31	Lake Wissota	Chippewa	WI	D	64.4 ft	8
32	Upper Backwater Lake	Jackson	WI	D	19 ft	6
33	Petenwell Flowage Lake	Juneau	WI	D	44 ft	8
34	Lake	Columbia	WI	F	24 ft	7
35	Lake Winneconne	Winnebago	WI	F	9 ft	8
36	Lake Butte des Morts	Winnebago	WI	F	9 ft	8
37	Lake Wisconsin Whalen'S Grade	Columbia	WI	F	24 ft	7
38	Dairyland Reservoir	Rusk	WI	F	70 ft	8
39	Lake Poygan	Winnebago	WI	F	11 ft	8
40	Honey Lake	Walworth	WI	F	6 ft	5
41	Lake Koshkonong	Jefferson	WI	F	7 ft	7
42	Mason Lake	Adams	WI	F	9 ft	5
43	Lake Wisconsin Columbia Co.	Columbia	WI	F	24 ft	7
44	Buffalo Lake	Marquette	WI	F	8 ft	5
45	Clam River Flowage Lake	Burnett	WI	F	29 ft	7
46	Lake Delton	Sauk	WI	F	16 ft	5
47	Lake Shangri-la	Kenosha	WI	F	24 ft	4
48	Chilton Millpond	Calumet	WI	F	7 ft	5
49	Lake Wisconsin Palisade Street Bay	Sauk	WI	F	24 ft	7
50	Little Lake Butte des Morts	Winnebago	WI	F	18 ft	7

Showing top 50 of 54 lakes with catfish.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have catfish?

Catfish are found in 54 graded lakes: 54 in Wisconsin. The average water quality grade of lakes with catfish is D (Poor).

What are the best lakes for catfish?

The best catfish lakes by water quality are Little Hills Lake, Green Lake, Silver Lake, Bughs Lake, Green Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where catfish have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with catfish?

Catfish are most commonly found alongside largemouth bass, northern pike, panfish, walleye, smallmouth bass. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Catfish Lakes

Largemouth bass Lakes

Found together in 54 lakes · 172 total

Northern pike Lakes

Found together in 54 lakes · 99 total

Panfish Lakes

Found together in 53 lakes · 1,148 total

Walleye Lakes

Found together in 47 lakes · 840 total

Smallmouth bass Lakes

Found together in 41 lakes · 117 total

Musky Lakes

Found together in 25 lakes · 410 total

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.