Golden shiner Lakes in Minnesota & Wisconsin

Other SpeciesFound in 86 lakes

Golden shiner is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 86 lakes carry documentation. Golden shiner is narrowly distributed — only 0 Minnesota lakes and 86 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 shiner lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Golden shiner documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

Minnesota

Wisconsin

Avg. Grade

Water Quality of Golden shiner Lakes

35%

33%

20%

10%

Best Golden shiner Lakes by Water Quality

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

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Sanford Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	17
2	Corey Lake Southeastern Basin; Fabius Township	St. Joseph	MI	A	-	10
3	Twin Lake	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	13
4	Pickerel Lake	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	29
5	Round Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	37
6	Indian Lake Northeast Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	11
7	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	MI	A	-	40
8	Eagle Lake East Basin; Paw Paw Township	Van Buren	MI	A	-	12
9	Eagle Lake	Van Buren	MI	A	-	12
10	Round Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	37
11	Diamond Lake	Osceola	MI	A	-	25
12	Shag Lake	Marquette	MI	A	-	7
13	Twin Lakes; Grayling Twp	Crawford	MI	A	-	7
14	Papoose Lake Central Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	7
15	Papoose Lake	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	7
16	Long Lake	Cheboygan	MI	A	-	40
17	Douglas Lake	Otsego	MI	A	-	22
18	Bass Lake Northeast Basin	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	12
19	Manistee Lake South	Manistee	MI	A	-	7
20	Spring Lake	Emmet	MI	A	-	15
21	Mack Lake; Mentor Township; Section 9	Oscoda	MI	A	-	6
22	Big Blue Lake North Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	17
23	Pickerel Lake East Central Basin; Garfield Township Sec. 1	Newaygo	MI	A	-	21
24	Maceday Lake Central Basin; Waterford Township Section 7	Oakland	MI	A	-	26
25	Long Lake; Lake Township; Section 31	Benzie	MI	A	-	40
26	Otter Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	30
27	Fremont Lake North Central Basin;Sheridan Township Section 3	Newaygo	MI	A	-	23
28	North Crooked Lake South Central Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	6
29	Duck Lake; Center of Deepest Basin; Fruitland Township	Muskegon	MI	A	-	22
30	Round Lake Central Basin	Lenawee	MI	A	-	25
31	Middle Lake; Elba Township; Section 13	Lapeer	MI	B	-	20
32	Bear Lake	Manistee	MI	B	-	14
33	Chippewa Lake	Mecosta	MI	B	-	21
34	Lake Richie	Keweenaw	MI	B	-	11
35	Duck Lake	Muskegon	MI	B	-	22
36	Round Lake; Independence Township; Section 2	Oakland	MI	B	-	37
37	Murray Lake East Basin; Grattan Township	Kent	MI	B	-	29
38	Scram Lake East Basin; Oakfield Township	Kent	MI	B	-	14
39	Eagle Lake	Allegan	MI	B	-	30
40	Long Lake	Gogebic	MI	B	-	40
41	North Crooked Lake	Kalkaska	MI	B	-	6
42	Round Lake	Oakland	MI	B	-	37
43	Long Lake	Benzie	MI	B	-	40
44	Scram Lake	Kent	MI	B	-	14
45	Otter Lake	Oakland	MI	B	-	30
46	Otter Lake	Benzie	MI	B	-	30
47	Muskegon Lake	Muskegon	MI	B	-	10
48	Devils Lake	Lenawee	MI	B	-	27
49	North Crooked Lake North Central Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	MI	B	-	6
50	Perch Lakes	Otsego	MI	B	-	5

Showing top 50 of 86 lakes with golden shiner.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have golden shiner?

Golden shiner are found in 86 lakes across Minnesota and Wisconsin, 0 in Minnesota and 86 in Wisconsin. The average water quality grade of lakes with golden shiner is B (Good).

What are the best lakes for golden shiner?

The best golden shiner lakes by water quality are Sanford Lake, Corey Lake Southeastern Basin; Fabius Township, Twin Lake, Pickerel Lake, Round Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where golden shiner have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with golden shiner?

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

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.