Golden Shiner Fishing Guide, 77 Best-Graded 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. 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 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 letter grades: lakes with both an A or B grade and Golden Shiner documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

Michigan lakes →

Avg. Grade

42 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Golden Shiner Lakes

16%

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

Showing top 50 of 77 lakes with golden shiner.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have golden shiner?

Golden Shiner are found in 77 graded lakes: 77 in Michigan. 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 Sawyer Lake, Hanbury Lake, Duck Lake, Big Blue Lake, Murray 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 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 grades from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys. Species profiles are general reference; always check current state regulations before fishing.