Golden redhorse Lakes in Minnesota, Wisconsin & Michigan

Other SpeciesFound in 15 lakes

Rough fish like Golden redhorse are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 15 Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Golden redhorse is narrowly distributed — only 15 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 Golden redhorse lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Golden redhorse documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

Michigan lakes →

Avg. Grade

45 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Golden redhorse Lakes

10%

23%

33%

18%

Best Golden redhorse Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with golden redhorse ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	MI	A	-	40
2	Long Lake	Cheboygan	MI	A	-	40
3	Side Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	32 ft	15
4	Sturgeon Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	79.8 ft	15
5	Wright Lake	Otter Tail	MN	B	32 ft	14
6	Long Lake	Cass	MI	B	-	25
7	Long Lake	Gogebic	MI	B	-	40
8	Eagle Lake	Allegan	MI	B	-	30
9	Long Lake	Benzie	MI	B	-	40
10	Base Line Lake Northeast Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	MI	B	-	16
11	Muskegon Lake	Muskegon	MI	B	-	10
12	Long Lake	Gogebic	MI	B	-	40
13	Lake St. Croix	Washington	MN	B	78 ft	36
14	Koronis Lake	Stearns	MN	C	132 ft	22
15	Lower Twin Lake	Wadena	MN	C	26 ft	21
16	Little Sturgeon Lake	St. Louis	MN	C	22 ft	12
17	St. Croix Lake	Washington	MN	C	78 ft	36
18	Tamarack Lake North Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	MI	C	-	20
19	Posey Lake Central Basin; Hudson Township	Lenawee	MI	C	-	7
20	Baldwin Lake Northwest Basin	Cass	MI	C	-	25
21	Baldwins Lake	Cass	MI	C	-	33
22	South Sturgeon Lake	St. Louis	MN	C	43 ft	10
23	Pool of Lake St. Croix	Washington	MN	C	78 ft	36
24	Pool on Lake St. Croix	Washington	MN	C	78 ft	36
25	Orwell Lake	Otter Tail	MN	C	25 ft	17
26	Dixon Lake	Itasca	MN	C	29 ft	15
27	Zumbro Lake	Olmsted	MN	D	43 ft	24
28	Fish Lake	Wright	MN	D	38 ft	17
29	Rice Lake	Stearns	MN	D	41 ft	21
30	South Pond	Chippewa	MI	D	-	6
31	Posey Lake	Lenawee	MI	D	-	7
32	Horseshoe Lake	Stearns	MN	D	57 ft	25
33	Unnamed Lake	Wright	MN	D	38 ft	17
34	Fish Lake	Kanabec	MN	F	8 ft	21
35	Pokegama Lake	Pine	MN	F	25 ft	23
36	Silver Lake	Olmsted	MN	F	11 ft	13
37	Knife Lake	Kanabec	MN	F	15 ft	19
38	Pepin Lake	Pepin	MN	F	60 ft	47
39	Spring Lake	Dakota	MN	F	17 ft	21
40	Byllesby Lake	Dakota	MN	F	50 ft	19

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have golden redhorse?

Golden redhorse are found in 15 graded lakes: 15 in Michigan. The average water quality grade of lakes with golden redhorse is B (Good).

What are the best lakes for golden redhorse?

The best golden redhorse lakes by water quality are Long Lake, Long Lake, Side Lake, Sturgeon Lake, Wright Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where golden redhorse have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with golden redhorse?

Golden redhorse are most commonly found alongside black crappie, bluegill, golden redhorse, northern pike, walleye. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Golden redhorse Lakes

Black Crappie Lakes

Found together in 25 lakes · 41 total

Bluegill Lakes

Found together in 25 lakes · 240 total

Northern pike Lakes

Found together in 25 lakes · 99 total

Walleye Lakes

Found together in 24 lakes · 840 total

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 24 lakes · 113 total

White sucker Lakes

Found together in 23 lakes · 121 total

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.