Common shiner Lakes in Minnesota & Wisconsin

Other SpeciesFound in 68 lakes

Rough fish like Common shiner are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 68 Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Common shiner is narrowly distributed — only 0 Minnesota lakes and 68 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 Common shiner lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Common shiner documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

Minnesota

Wisconsin

Avg. Grade

Water Quality of Common shiner Lakes

31%

40%

24%

Best Common shiner Lakes by Water Quality

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

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Sanford Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	17
2	Opal Lake Central Basin;Otesgo Lake Township Sec12	Otsego	MI	A	-	12
3	Pickerel Lake	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	29
4	Big Twin Lake Southeast Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	9
5	Round Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	37
6	Lake Margrethe	Crawford	MI	A	-	21
7	Beaver Lake Central Basin; Ossineke Township	Alpena	MI	A	-	15
8	Opal Lake	Otsego	MI	A	-	11
9	Round Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	37
10	Lower Herring Lake East Basin; Blaire Township	Benzie	MI	A	-	25
11	Burt Lake	Cheboygan	MI	A	-	33
12	Douglas Lake	Otsego	MI	A	-	22
13	Susan Lake	Charlevoix	MI	A	-	12
14	Walloon Lake	Emmet	MI	A	-	20
15	Crooked Lake	Emmet	MI	A	-	26
16	Elk Lake	Antrim	MI	A	-	27
17	Big Blue Lake North Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	17
18	Farewell Lake West Basin; Hanover Township	Jackson	MI	A	-	18
19	Fremont Lake North Central Basin;Sheridan Township Section 3	Newaygo	MI	A	-	23
20	Duck Lake; Center of Deepest Basin; Fruitland Township	Muskegon	MI	A	-	22
21	Upper Woodcock Lake; Almira Twp	Benzie	MI	A	-	9
22	Lake Ann	Benzie	MI	B	-	10
23	Crystal Lake	Montcalm	MI	B	-	16
24	Farewell Lake	Jackson	MI	B	-	18
25	Duck Lake	Muskegon	MI	B	-	22
26	Round Lake; Independence Township; Section 2	Oakland	MI	B	-	37
27	Crystal Lake	Gogebic	MI	B	-	16
28	Scram Lake East Basin; Oakfield Township	Kent	MI	B	-	14
29	Crystal Lake	Hillsdale	MI	B	-	16
30	Eagle Lake	Allegan	MI	B	-	30
31	Round Lake	Oakland	MI	B	-	37
32	Scram Lake	Kent	MI	B	-	14
33	Crooked Lake	Barry	MI	B	-	27
34	Crystal Lake; East Central Basin; Watersmeet Township	Gogebic	MI	B	-	16
35	Stager Lake Central Basin	Iron	MI	B	-	9
36	Deer Lake	Charlevoix	MI	B	-	14
37	Lower Woodcock Lake	Benzie	MI	B	-	9
38	Mullett Lake	Cheboygan	MI	B	-	23
39	Lower Herring Lake	Benzie	MI	B	-	25
40	Lower Woodcock Lake; Almira Twp	Benzie	MI	B	-	9
41	Bass Lake North Basin; Forsyth Township	Marquette	MI	B	-	16
42	Stager Lake	Iron	MI	B	-	9
43	Elk Lake	Antrim	MI	B	-	27
44	Sanford Lake	Benzie	MI	B	-	17
45	Douglas Lake	Cheboygan	MI	B	-	22
46	Upper Woodcock Lake	Benzie	MI	B	-	9
47	Duck Lake North Basin; Watersmeet Township	Gogebic	MI	B	-	16
48	Little Platte Lake North Basin	Benzie	MI	B	-	8
49	Cedar Lake	Alcona	MI	C	-	22
50	Duck Lake	Gogebic	MI	C	-	16

Showing top 50 of 68 lakes with common shiner.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have common shiner?

Common shiner are found in 68 lakes across Minnesota and Wisconsin, 0 in Minnesota and 68 in Wisconsin. The average water quality grade of lakes with common shiner is B (Good).

What are the best lakes for common shiner?

The best common shiner lakes by water quality are Sanford Lake, Opal Lake Central Basin;Otesgo Lake Township Sec12, Pickerel Lake, Big Twin Lake Southeast Basin; Blue Lake Township, Round Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where common shiner have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with common shiner?

Common shiner are most commonly found alongside yellow perch, bluntnose minnow, bluegill, pumpkinseed, largemouth bass. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.