Common carp Lakes in Minnesota, Wisconsin & Michigan

Other SpeciesFound in 6 lakes

Common carp is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 6 lakes carry documentation. Common carp is narrowly distributed — only 6 lakes in Michigan 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 Common carp lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Common carp documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

Michigan lakes →

Avg. Grade

36 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Common carp Lakes

13%

18%

111

21%

132

25%

123

23%

Best Common carp Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with common carp ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	North Long Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	97 ft	18
2	Ida Lake	Douglas	MN	A	106 ft	19
3	Star Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	94 ft	17
4	Upper Maple Lake	Wright	MN	A	76 ft	15
5	Fish Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	69 ft	17
6	Birch Lake	Wright	MN	A	52 ft	9
7	Little Toad Lake	Becker	MN	A	65 ft	15
8	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	55 ft	20
9	Gull Lake	Cass	MN	A	80 ft	22
10	Latoka Lake	Douglas	MN	A	108 ft	16
11	Cowdry Lake	Douglas	MN	A	52 ft	19
12	Big Mcdonald Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	46 ft	15
13	Lizzie Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	66 ft	21
14	West Battle Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	108 ft	17
15	West Sylvia Lake	Wright	MN	A	97 ft	15
16	Courthouse Lake	Carver	MN	A	57 ft	10
17	Miltona Lake	Douglas	MN	A	105 ft	19
18	Mina Lake	Douglas	MN	A	123 ft	18
19	Rose Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	137 ft	17
20	Maud Lake	Becker	MN	A	32 ft	15
21	Big Cormorant Lake	Becker	MN	A	75 ft	16
22	Sybil Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	74 ft	16
23	Big Fish Lake	Stearns	MN	A	70 ft	15
24	Lottie Lake	Douglas	MN	A	31 ft	14
25	Edward Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	75 ft	15
26	Moses Lake	Douglas	MN	A	32 ft	17
27	Carlos Lake	Douglas	MN	A	163 ft	21
28	Hubert Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	83 ft	16
29	North Union Lake	Douglas	MN	A	42 ft	13
30	Big Lake	Sherburne	MN	A	48 ft	14
31	West Mcdonald Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	62 ft	15
32	Minnewashta Lake	Carver	MN	A	70 ft	14
33	Bush Lake	Hennepin	MN	A	28 ft	12
34	Round Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	125 ft	18
35	Round Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	51 ft	20
36	Long Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	A	46 ft	15
37	Detroit Lake	Becker	MN	A	89 ft	19
38	Chippewa Lake	Douglas	MN	A	95 ft	19
39	Sullivan Lake	Morrison	MN	A	57 ft	18
40	Fish Lake	Le Sueur	MN	A	55 ft	14
41	Big Lake	Sherburne	MN	A	48 ft	14
42	East Loon Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	105 ft	17
43	Little Birch Lake	Todd	MN	A	89 ft	20
44	Maple Lake	Douglas	MN	A	78 ft	17
45	Big Spunk Lake	Stearns	MN	A	38 ft	19
46	Marion Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	62 ft	17
47	Darling Lake	Douglas	MN	A	62 ft	19
48	Green Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	A	110 ft	22
49	Pickerel Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	78 ft	16
50	Ray Lake	Cass	MN	A	27 ft	17

Showing top 50 of 529 lakes with common carp.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have common carp?

Common carp are found in 6 graded lakes: 6 in Michigan. The average water quality grade of lakes with common carp is C (Fair).

What are the best lakes for common carp?

The best common carp lakes by water quality are North Long Lake, Ida Lake, Star Lake, Upper Maple Lake, Fish Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where common carp have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with common carp?

Common carp are most commonly found alongside common carp, black crappie, yellow perch, bluegill, northern pike. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Common carp Lakes

Black Crappie Lakes

Found together in 484 lakes · 41 total

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 476 lakes · 113 total

Bluegill Lakes

Found together in 474 lakes · 240 total

Northern pike Lakes

Found together in 469 lakes · 99 total

Black bullhead Lakes

Found together in 442 lakes · 28 total

Largemouth bass Lakes

Found together in 442 lakes · 172 total

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.