Golden Shiner Fishing Guide: 77 Lakes by Water Quality

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. 77 lakes carry documentation. Golden Shiner is narrowly distributed — only 77 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 phosphorus and chlorophyll-a readings 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 each lake's clarity, phosphorus and algae readings: lakes with low nutrient readings and Golden Shiner documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

Michigan lakes →

42 ft

Avg. Depth

Best Golden Shiner Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with golden shiner, ranked on nutrient and algae readings.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Depth	Species
1	Sawyer Lake	Dickinson	MI	20 ft	8
2	Hanbury Lake	Dickinson	MI	-	17
3	Duck Lake	Muskegon	MI	-	22
4	Big Blue Lake	Kalkaska	MI	-	17
5	Murray Lake	Kent	MI	-	29
6	Round Lake	Lenawee	MI	67 ft	25
7	Round Lake	Benzie	MI	-	37
8	Otter Lake	Benzie	MI	-	30
9	Twin Lakes	Oakland	MI	-	7
10	Twin Lakes	Crawford	MI	-	7
11	Manistee Lake South	Manistee	MI	-	7
12	Spring Lake	Emmet	MI	-	15
13	Cranberry Lake	Oakland	MI	25 ft	14
14	Lake Richie	Keweenaw	MI	-	11
15	Papoose Lake	Kalkaska	MI	17 ft	7
16	South Pond	Chippewa	MI	-	6
17	Round Lake	Shiawassee	MI	-	37
18	Sanford Lake	Benzie	MI	-	17
19	Long Lake	Gogebic	MI	60 ft	40
20	Hanbury Lake	Dickinson	MI	-	17
21	Chippewa Lake	Mecosta	MI	40 ft	21
22	Shavehead Lake	Cass	MI	70 ft	25
23	North Crooked Lake	Kalkaska	MI	-	6
24	Cranberry Lake	Oakland	MI	25 ft	14
25	Shavehead Lake	Cass	MI	70 ft	26
26	Brevoort Lake	Mackinac	MI	-	15
27	Twin Lake	Kalkaska	MI	80 ft	13
28	Sanford Lake	Midland	MI	20 ft	17
29	Wall Lake	Barry	MI	36 ft	18
30	Cedar Lake	Alcona	MI	10 ft	22
31	Duck Lake	Gogebic	MI	25 ft	16
32	Big Bradford Lake	Otsego	MI	-	14
33	Bear Lake	Manistee	MI	6 ft	14
34	Pickerel Lake	Kalkaska	MI	72 ft	29
35	Eagle Lake	Allegan	MI	-	30
36	Evans Lake	Lenawee	MI	42 ft	19
37	Cedar Lake	Iosco	MI	-	20
38	Tamarack Lake	Livingston	MI	34 ft	6
39	Hamburg Lake	Livingston	MI	-	4
40	Scram Lake	Kent	MI	85 ft	14
41	Fox Lake	Charlevoix	MI	17 ft	9
42	Otter Lake	Oakland	MI	70 ft	30
43	Cedar Lake	Oakland	MI	-	22
44	Mud Lake	Oakland	MI	-	12
45	Rainbow Pond	Oakland	MI	-	3
46	Middle Lake	Lapeer	MI	-	20
47	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	MI	88 ft	40
48	Highbank Lake	Newaygo	MI	35 ft	4
49	Twin Lakes	Oakland	MI	-	7
50	Round Lake	Oakland	MI	15 ft	37

Showing top 50 of 77 lakes with golden shiner.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have golden shiner?

Golden Shiner are documented in 77 lakes: 77 in Michigan.

What are the best lakes for golden shiner?

The best golden shiner lakes by water quality are Sawyer Lake, Hanbury Lake, Duck Lake, Big Blue Lake, Murray Lake. These lakes carry the lowest nutrient and algae readings 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 golden shiner, yellow perch, pumpkinseed, largemouth bass, bluegill. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Golden Shiner Lakes

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 67 lakes · 1,577 total

Pumpkinseed Lakes

Found together in 62 lakes · 1,328 total

Largemouth Bass Lakes

Found together in 60 lakes · 2,489 total

Bluegill Lakes

Found together in 56 lakes · 1,550 total

Iowa Darter Lakes

Found together in 51 lakes · 126 total

Bluntnose Minnow Lakes

Found together in 51 lakes · 160 total

Fish species from state agency survey, stocking, and public fishing-access records; water-quality readings from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys. Species profiles are general reference; always check current state regulations before fishing.