Cisco Species Fishing Guide

Other SpeciesDocumented in 68 graded lakes across 1 state

Cisco Species is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 68 lakes carry documentation. Cisco Species is narrowly distributed — only 68 lakes in Minnesota 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 Cisco Species lake list below against the letter grades: lakes with both an A or B grade and Cisco Species documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Cisco Species Seasonal Forecast & Techniques

Part of the LakeQuality Fishing Forecast. Spawn trigger: Late-fall spawner in the shallows; a cold, oxygen-rich-water indicator and key trophy forage. Forage: Zooplankton; itself the forage that grows trophy pike, muskie, and lake trout. For a forecast tuned to a specific lake's measured clarity and depth, open that lake's forecast.

Season	Where they hold	Structure & cover	Technique
Spring	deep/suspended	suspends in the cold basin	not commonly targeted
Summer	deep near thermocline	cold oxygenated layer	small jigs/flies where legal
Fall	shallow late fall	moves shallow to spawn	small spoons and jigs
Winter / Ice	15–40 ft	suspended over the basin	tiny spoons and jigs — a fun ice target

Clear-water tactics:tiny jigs & spoons for suspended fishStained-water tactics:n/a — cisco signal clean, well-oxygenated water

Cisco presence indicates a healthy, cold, oxygen-rich lake; sensitive to warming.

Total Lakes

Minnesota lakes →

Avg. Grade

82 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Cisco Species Lakes

29%

Best Cisco Species Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with cisco species ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Farm Lake	Lake	MN	A	56 ft	12
2	Garden Lake	Lake	MN	A	55 ft	12
3	Andrusia Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	60 ft	21
4	White Iron Lake	Lake	MN	A	47 ft	10
5	Elk Lake	Clearwater	MN	A	93 ft	16
6	Bemidji Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	76 ft	16
7	Little Boy Lake	Cass	MN	A	74 ft	18
8	Fall Lake	Lake	MN	A	32 ft	12
9	Ten Mile Lake	Cass	MN	A	208 ft	17
10	Wabedo Lake	Cass	MN	A	95 ft	19
11	Sea Gull Lake	Cook	MN	A	40 ft	12
12	Loon Lake	Cook	MN	A	202 ft	10
13	St. Marys Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	44 ft	14
14	Sabin Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	52 ft	10
15	Bear Island Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	62 ft	13
16	Gunflint Lake	Cook	MN	A	200 ft	12
17	Flour Lake	Cook	MN	A	75 ft	9
18	Wynne Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	52 ft	10
19	Greenwood Lake	Cook	MN	A	112 ft	10
20	Six Mile Lake	Cass	MN	A	68 ft	16
21	Mukooda Lake	St. Louis	MN	B	78 ft	14
22	Little Trout Lake	St. Louis	MN	B	95 ft	8
23	Locator Lake	St. Louis	MN	B	52 ft	6
24	Snowbank Lake	Lake	MN	B	150 ft	11
25	Kabetogama Lake	St. Louis	MN	NR	80 ft	16
26	Rainy Lake	Koochiching	MN	NR	161 ft	17
27	Rainy Lake	St. Louis	MN	NR	161 ft	17
28	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	MN	NR	150 ft	18
29	Kabetogama Lake	St. Louis	MN	NR	80 ft	16
30	Kabetogama Lake	St. Louis	MN	NR	80 ft	16
31	Sand Point Lake	St. Louis	MN	NR	184 ft	21
32	Agnes Lake	St. Louis	MN	NR	30 ft	10
33	War Club Lake	St. Louis	MN	NR	40 ft	8
34	Crane Lake	St. Louis	MN	NR	80 ft	12
35	Birch Lake	Unknown	MN	NR	34 ft	10
36	South Farm Lake	Lake	MN	NR	31 ft	11
37	Carp Lake	Unknown	MN	NR	34 ft	10
38	Fairy Lake	Todd	MN	NR	37 ft	13
39	Elbow Lake	St. Louis	MN	NR	60 ft	12
40	Hanson Lake	Lake	MN	NR	100 ft	6
41	Pine Lake	Cook	MN	NR	113 ft	10
42	Duncan Lake	Cook	MN	NR	130 ft	5
43	Rose Lake	Cook	MN	NR	130 ft	5
44	Ensign Lake	Lake	MN	NR	30 ft	9
45	St Mary'S Lake	St. Louis	MN	NR	44 ft	14
46	Newfound Lake	Lake	MN	NR	45 ft	12
47	Four Lake	Lake	MN	NR	25 ft	9
48	Shagawa Lake	St. Louis	MN	NR	48 ft	12
49	Ester Lake	Lake	MN	NR	110 ft	8
50	Topaz Lake	Lake	MN	NR	110 ft	4

Showing top 50 of 68 lakes with cisco species.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have cisco species?

Cisco Species are found in 68 graded lakes: 68 in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of lakes with cisco species is A (Excellent).

What are the best lakes for cisco species?

The best cisco species lakes by water quality are Farm Lake, Garden Lake, Andrusia Lake, White Iron Lake, Elk Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where cisco species have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with cisco species?

Cisco Species are most commonly found alongside cisco species, white sucker, northern pike, yellow perch, walleye. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Cisco Species Lakes

White Sucker Lakes

Found together in 62 lakes · 1,256 total

Northern Pike Lakes

Found together in 60 lakes · 2,487 total

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 59 lakes · 1,631 total

Walleye Lakes

Found together in 57 lakes · 1,982 total

Smallmouth Bass Lakes

Found together in 55 lakes · 953 total

Rock Bass Lakes

Found together in 52 lakes · 824 total

Fish species from state agency survey, stocking, and public fishing-access records; water-quality grades from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys. Species profiles are general reference; always check current state regulations before fishing.