Catfish Lakes in Wisconsin

Found in 60 Wisconsin lakes

Rough fish like Catfish are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 60 Wisconsin lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Catfish is narrowly distributed — only 0 Minnesota lakes and 60 Wisconsin lakes 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	Silver Lake	Kenosha	A	25.5 ft	44 ft
2	Voltz Lake	Kenosha	A	28.7 ft	24 ft
3	Big Falls Flowage Lake	Rusk	A	15.6 ft	45 ft
4	Bughs Lake	Waushara	A	37.7 ft	-
5	Danbury Flowage Lake	Burnett	A	25.1 ft	-
6	Thornapple Flowage Lake	Rusk	A	18 ft	19 ft
7	Little Hills Lake	Waushara	A	37.7 ft	20 ft
8	White Lake	Waupaca	A	18.9 ft	10 ft
9	Tichigan Lake	Racine	A	18 ft	63 ft
10	Yellow Lake	Burnett	A	19.7 ft	31 ft
11	Chippewa Flowage Lake	Sawyer	B	23.6 ft	92 ft
12	Chippewa Flowage -Pokegema Lake	Sawyer	B	19 ft	92 ft
13	Green Lake	Green Lake	B	13.3 ft	236 ft
14	Chippewa Flowage -North of Cranberry Bars Lake	Sawyer	B	15.9 ft	92 ft
15	Lake Mendota	Dane	B	18 ft	83 ft
16	Amacoy Lake	Rusk	B	14.8 ft	20 ft
17	Moon Bay Lake	Chippewa	B	12.3 ft	64.4 ft
18	Green Lake	Green Lake	B	13 ft	236 ft
19	Upper Backwater Lake	Jackson	B	11.5 ft	19 ft
20	Kendal Lake	Iowa	B	22.6 ft	17 ft
21	Chippewa Flowage -Winter Dam Lake	Sawyer	B	14.3 ft	92 ft
22	Chippewa Flowage -Moore'S Bay Lake	Sawyer	B	13.6 ft	92 ft
23	Green Lake	Green Lake	B	14.1 ft	236 ft
24	Lake St. Croix	St. Croix	B	5.6 ft	60 ft
25	Lake Waubesa	Dane	B	10.3 ft	38 ft
26	Lake Kegonsa	Dane	B	12.3 ft	32 ft
27	Lake Puckaway	Green Lake	B	14.3 ft	-
28	Green Lake East Basin	Green Lake	B	11.8 ft	236 ft
29	Lake	Columbia	C	8.2 ft	24 ft
30	Lake Wissota	Chippewa	C	11.5 ft	64.4 ft
31	Green Lake	Green Lake	C	13.1 ft	236 ft
32	Lake Wisconsin Columbia Co.	Columbia	C	7.3 ft	24 ft
33	Lake Winneconne	Winnebago	C	7.4 ft	9 ft
34	Clam River Flowage Lake	Burnett	C	7.2 ft	29 ft
35	Lake Shangri-la	Kenosha	C	8.9 ft	24 ft
36	Lake Butte des Morts	Winnebago	C	7.6 ft	9 ft
37	Lake Poygan	Winnebago	C	8.2 ft	11 ft
38	Lake Delton	Sauk	C	8.2 ft	16 ft
39	Lake Wisconsin Palisade Street Bay	Sauk	C	8.6 ft	24 ft
40	St. Croix 8 Mi. Upstream of Point Douglas Dr Lake	Pierce	C	8.9 ft	60 ft
41	City Millpond	Green Lake	C	-	236 ft
42	Clam Lake	Burnett	C	9.8 ft	11 ft
43	Petenwell Flowage Lake	Juneau	C	7.8 ft	44 ft
44	Wind Lake	Racine	D	8.5 ft	47 ft
45	Wind Lake	Racine	D	8.5 ft	47 ft
46	Buffalo Lake	Marquette	D	9.8 ft	8 ft
47	St. Croix Lake	St. Croix	D	5.1 ft	60 ft
48	St. Croix Lake	St. Croix	D	4.4 ft	60 ft
49	Lake Wisconsin Whalen'S Grade	Columbia	D	6.6 ft	24 ft
50	Dairyland Reservoir	Rusk	D	4.5 ft	70 ft

Showing top 50 of 60 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Wisconsin lakes have catfish?

Catfish are found in 60 lakes in Wisconsin. The average water quality grade of these lakes is C (Fair).

What are the best catfish lakes in Wisconsin?

The best catfish lakes in Wisconsin by water quality are Silver Lake, Voltz Lake, Big Falls Flowage Lake, Bughs Lake, Danbury Flowage Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.