Channel Catfish Lakes in Minnesota, Wisconsin & Michigan

Catfish & BullheadFound in 19 lakes

Channel Catfish is a catfish — bottom-feeding, warm-water-tolerant, often found in larger river-connected lakes. Documented in 19 lakes across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Channel Catfish is narrowly distributed — only 19 lakes in North Dakota have a documented record. The constraint is usually habitat: cold water, specific depth profile, or river connection.

Catfish-bearing lakes are often productive systems — the kind where the fish do well even when clarity does not. Cross-reference the Channel Catfish lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Channel Catfish documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

North Dakota lakes →

Avg. Grade

29 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Channel Catfish Lakes

18%

30%

41%

Best Channel Catfish Lakes by Water Quality

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

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Arnegard Dam Lake	McKenzie	ND	A	12.2 ft	5
2	Epping-Springbrook Dam-Littoral Lake	Williams	ND	A	25.4 ft	5
3	Little Birch Lake	Todd	MN	A	89 ft	20
4	Big Spunk Lake	Stearns	MN	A	38 ft	19
5	Green Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	A	110 ft	22
6	Whitewater Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	73 ft	15
7	Watab Lake	Stearns	MN	A	54 ft	14
8	Sylvia Lake	Stearns	MN	B	56 ft	19
9	Two Rivers Lake	Stearns	MN	B	63 ft	17
10	Minnewaska Lake	Pope	MN	B	32 ft	21
11	Little Rabbit Lake	Crow Wing	MN	B	30 ft	19
12	Patterson Lake	Stark	ND	B	24.8 ft	9
13	Lake St. Croix	Washington	MN	B	78 ft	36
14	Big Lake	Stearns	MN	B	42 ft	16
15	Crooked Lake	Anoka	MN	B	26 ft	12
16	Spitzer Lake	Otter Tail	MN	B	33 ft	13
17	Union Lake	Wright	MN	C	35 ft	15
18	Big Sandy Lake	Aitkin	MN	C	84 ft	22
19	Augusta Lake	Stearns	MN	C	82 ft	18
20	Nest Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	C	40 ft	19
21	Warner Lake	Stearns	MN	C	38 ft	12
22	Mccoll Pond	Scott	MN	C	11 ft	7
23	Schneider Lake	Stearns	MN	C	52 ft	13
24	St. Croix Lake	Washington	MN	C	78 ft	36
25	Mooreton Pond	Richland	ND	C	19.5 ft	6
26	Lake Tschida	Grant	ND	C	57 ft	13
27	Lake Tschida	Grant	ND	C	57 ft	13
28	Belfield Dam Lake	Stark	ND	C	16.3 ft	4
29	Custer Mine Pond	McLean	ND	C	23.7 ft	2
30	Trenton Lake	Williams	ND	C	8.1 ft	11
31	Epping-Springbrook Dam-S Inlet Lake	Williams	ND	C	25.4 ft	5
32	Charley Lake	Ramsey	MN	C	21 ft	20
33	Washington Lake	Meeker	MN	C	17 ft	18
34	Pelican Lake	Pope	MN	C	34 ft	18
35	Colby Lake	St. Louis	MN	C	30 ft	15
36	South Long Lake	Ramsey	MN	C	30 ft	12
37	Caroline Lake	Wright	MN	C	45 ft	17
38	Golden Lake	Anoka	MN	C	25 ft	10
39	Pool of Lake St. Croix	Washington	MN	C	78 ft	36
40	Pool on Lake St. Croix	Washington	MN	C	78 ft	36
41	Orwell Lake	Otter Tail	MN	C	25 ft	17
42	Bolfing Lake	Stearns	MN	C	36 ft	16
43	Lake Tschida	Grant	ND	C	57 ft	13
44	Lake Tschida	Grant	ND	C	57 ft	13
45	Long Lake	Watonwan	MN	D	13 ft	13
46	Cokato Lake	Wright	MN	D	52 ft	20
47	Zumbro Lake	Olmsted	MN	D	43 ft	24
48	Fish Lake	Wright	MN	D	38 ft	17
49	Deer Lake	Wright	MN	D	27 ft	17
50	Marion Lake	McLeod	MN	D	15.2 ft	13

Showing top 50 of 155 lakes with channel catfish.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have channel catfish?

Channel Catfish are found in 19 graded lakes: 19 in North Dakota. The average water quality grade of lakes with channel catfish is C (Fair).

What are the best lakes for channel catfish?

The best channel catfish lakes by water quality are Arnegard Dam Lake, Epping-Springbrook Dam-Littoral Lake, Little Birch Lake, Big Spunk Lake, Green Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where channel catfish have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with channel catfish?

Channel Catfish are most commonly found alongside channel catfish, black crappie, bluegill, yellow perch, northern pike. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Channel Catfish Lakes

Black Crappie Lakes

Found together in 134 lakes · 41 total

Bluegill Lakes

Found together in 130 lakes · 240 total

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 129 lakes · 113 total

Northern pike Lakes

Found together in 127 lakes · 99 total

Walleye Lakes

Found together in 125 lakes · 840 total

Black bullhead Lakes

Found together in 122 lakes · 28 total

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.