golden redhorse Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 29 Minnesota lakes

golden redhorse is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 29 lakes carry documentation. golden redhorse is narrowly distributed — only 29 Minnesota lakes and 0 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 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.

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best golden redhorse Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Side Lake	St. Louis	A	11 ft	32 ft
2	Sturgeon Lake	St. Louis	A	13.8 ft	79.8 ft
3	Wright Lake	Otter Tail	B	13.7 ft	32 ft
4	Lake St. Croix	Washington	B	5.2 ft	78 ft
5	Koronis Lake	Stearns	C	6 ft	132 ft
6	Lower Twin Lake	Wadena	C	6.9 ft	26 ft
7	Little Sturgeon Lake	St. Louis	C	4.8 ft	22 ft
8	St. Croix Lake	Washington	C	8.7 ft	78 ft
9	St. Croix 1.5 Mi. Upstream of Point Douglas Dr Lake	Washington	C	9.4 ft	78 ft
10	South Sturgeon Lake	St. Louis	C	2.5 ft	43 ft
11	Pool of Lake St. Croix	Washington	C	4.3 ft	78 ft
12	Pool on Lake St. Croix Downstream of I94 Bridge	Washington	C	5 ft	78 ft
13	Pool on Lake St. Croix	Washington	C	5.9 ft	78 ft
14	Orwell Lake	Otter Tail	C	4.1 ft	25 ft
15	St. Croix 3.5 Mi. Downstream of E Chestnut St Lake	Washington	C	5.9 ft	78 ft
16	St. Croix 0.3 Mi. Downstream of I Lake	Washington	C	6.1 ft	78 ft
17	Dixon Lake	Itasca	C	6 ft	29 ft
18	Zumbro Lake	Olmsted	D	3.9 ft	43 ft
19	Fish Lake	Wright	D	3.3 ft	38 ft
20	Rice Lake	Stearns	D	2.6 ft	41 ft
21	Horseshoe Lake	Stearns	D	4 ft	57 ft
22	Unnamed Lake	Wright	D	1.3 ft	38 ft
23	Fish Lake	Kanabec	F	2 ft	8 ft
24	Pokegama Lake	Pine	F	2 ft	25 ft
25	Silver Lake	Olmsted	F	2 ft	11 ft
26	Knife Lake	Kanabec	F	2.3 ft	15 ft
27	Pepin Lake	Pepin	F	3 ft	60 ft
28	Spring Lake	Dakota	F	2.1 ft	17 ft
29	Byllesby Lake	Dakota	F	3 ft	50 ft

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have golden redhorse?

golden redhorse are found in 29 lakes in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is D (Poor).

What are the best golden redhorse lakes in Minnesota?

The best golden redhorse lakes in Minnesota by water quality are Side Lake, Sturgeon Lake, Wright Lake, Lake St. Croix, Koronis Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.