Catfish Lakes in Wisconsin

Found in 54 Wisconsin lakes

Rough fish like Catfish are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 54 Wisconsin 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.

Wisconsin Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Catfish Lakes in Wisconsin

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Little Hills Lake	Waushara	A	14 ft	20 ft
2	Green Lake	Green Lake	B	13.1 ft	236 ft
3	Silver Lake	Kenosha	B	7.3 ft	44 ft
4	Bughs Lake	Waushara	B	12 ft	18 ft
5	Green Lake	Green Lake	B	13 ft	236 ft
6	Chippewa Flowage Lake	Sawyer	B	6.9 ft	92 ft
7	Green Lake	Green Lake	B	14.1 ft	236 ft
8	Lake St. Croix	St. Croix	B	5.6 ft	60 ft
9	Green Lake East Basin	Green Lake	B	11.8 ft	236 ft
10	Chippewa Flowage -Pokegema Lake	Sawyer	C	5.8 ft	92 ft
11	Green Lake	Green Lake	C	11.5 ft	236 ft
12	White Lake	Waupaca	C	5.6 ft	10 ft
13	Chippewa Flowage -North of Cranberry Bars Lake	Sawyer	C	4.9 ft	92 ft
14	Amacoy Lake	Rusk	C	4.5 ft	20 ft
15	Chippewa Flowage -Moore'S Bay Lake	Sawyer	C	4.1 ft	92 ft
16	Chippewa Flowage -Winter Dam Lake	Sawyer	C	4.4 ft	92 ft
17	Yellow Lake	Burnett	C	6 ft	31 ft
18	Tichigan Lake	Racine	C	5.5 ft	63 ft
19	Voltz Lake	Kenosha	C	9.3 ft	24 ft
20	Kendal Lake	Iowa	C	6.9 ft	17 ft
21	City Millpond	Green Lake	C	-	236 ft
22	Lake Puckaway	Green Lake	C	4.4 ft	5 ft
23	Lake Kegonsa	Dane	C	3.7 ft	32 ft
24	Lake Mendota	Dane	C	5 ft	83 ft
25	Wind Lake	Racine	D	9.5 ft	47 ft
26	Wind Lake	Racine	D	8.5 ft	47 ft
27	Lake Waubesa	Dane	D	3.2 ft	38 ft
28	Danbury Flowage Lake	Burnett	D	6.2 ft	10 ft
29	Clam Lake	Burnett	D	3 ft	11 ft
30	Moon Bay Lake	Chippewa	D	3.7 ft	64.4 ft
31	Lake Wissota	Chippewa	D	3.5 ft	64.4 ft
32	Upper Backwater Lake	Jackson	D	3.5 ft	19 ft
33	Petenwell Flowage Lake	Juneau	D	2.3 ft	44 ft
34	Lake	Columbia	F	2.5 ft	24 ft
35	Lake Winneconne	Winnebago	F	2.4 ft	9 ft
36	Lake Butte des Morts	Winnebago	F	2.3 ft	9 ft
37	Lake Wisconsin Whalen'S Grade	Columbia	F	2 ft	24 ft
38	Dairyland Reservoir	Rusk	F	1.4 ft	70 ft
39	Lake Poygan	Winnebago	F	2.5 ft	11 ft
40	Honey Lake	Walworth	F	2.5 ft	6 ft
41	Lake Koshkonong	Jefferson	F	1.7 ft	7 ft
42	Mason Lake	Adams	F	1.1 ft	9 ft
43	Lake Wisconsin Columbia Co.	Columbia	F	2.2 ft	24 ft
44	Buffalo Lake	Marquette	F	2.5 ft	8 ft
45	Clam River Flowage Lake	Burnett	F	2.2 ft	29 ft
46	Lake Delton	Sauk	F	2.5 ft	16 ft
47	Lake Shangri-la	Kenosha	F	3 ft	24 ft
48	Chilton Millpond	Calumet	F	2.9 ft	7 ft
49	Lake Wisconsin Palisade Street Bay	Sauk	F	2.6 ft	24 ft
50	Little Lake Butte des Morts	Winnebago	F	2 ft	18 ft

Showing top 50 of 54 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Wisconsin lakes have catfish?

Catfish are found in 54 lakes in Wisconsin. The average water quality grade of these lakes is D (Poor).

What are the best catfish lakes in Wisconsin?

The best catfish lakes in Wisconsin by water quality are Little Hills Lake, Green Lake, Silver Lake, Bughs Lake, Green Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.