Golden Shiner Lakes in Michigan

Found in 75 Michigan 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. 75 lakes carry documentation. Golden Shiner is narrowly distributed — only 75 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 LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Golden Shiner documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Michigan Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Golden Shiner Lakes Map

Every Michigan lake with documented golden shiner, colored by water-quality grade.

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Best Golden Shiner Lakes in Michigan

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Kimball Lake Central Basin; Garfield Township	Newaygo	A	4.5 ft	-
2	Murray Lake East Basin; Grattan Township	Kent	A	7.2 ft	-
3	Scram Lake East Basin; Oakfield Township	Kent	A	11.5 ft	-
4	Round Lake	Benzie	A	15 ft	-
5	Otter Lake	Benzie	A	12 ft	-
6	Duck Lake North Basin; Watersmeet Township	Gogebic	A	9.5 ft	-
7	North Crooked Lake South Central Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	A	13.5 ft	-
8	Eagle Lake East Basin; Paw Paw Township	Van Buren	A	17 ft	-
9	Twin Lakes	Oakland	A	5 ft	-
10	Wakeley Lake; Central Basin; Grayling Township	Crawford	A	6.5 ft	-
11	Twin Lakes; Grayling Twp	Crawford	A	19 ft	-
12	Round Lake Central Basin	Lenawee	A	12 ft	-
13	Long Lake	Gogebic	A	12 ft	-
14	Manistee Lake South	Manistee	A	-	-
15	Big Blue Lake North Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	A	-	-
16	Lake Richie	Keweenaw	B	8.3 ft	-
17	Fox Lake	Charlevoix	B	5 ft	-
18	Papoose Lake Central Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	B	21 ft	-
19	South Pond	Chippewa	C	1.3 ft	-
20	Round Lake	Shiawassee	D	6 ft	-
21	Fox Lake Central Basin; Dalton Township	Muskegon	D	1 ft	-
22	Kimball Lake	Newaygo	NR	4.5 ft	-
23	Shavehead Lake East Basin; Porter Township	Cass	NR	7 ft	-
24	Sanford Lake	Benzie	NR	15.8 ft	-
25	Bear Lake	Manistee	NR	11 ft	-
26	Chippewa Lake	Mecosta	NR	11.5 ft	-
27	Middle Lake	Lapeer	NR	9 ft	-
28	Corey Lake Southeastern Basin; Fabius Township	St. Joseph	NR	16 ft	-
29	Shavehead Lake	Cass	NR	7 ft	-
30	Wall Lake	Barry	NR	9.5 ft	-
31	Tamarack Lake	Livingston	NR	8 ft	-
32	Cedar Lake	Alcona	NR	8 ft	-
33	Duck Lake	Muskegon	NR	10.5 ft	-
34	Twin Lake	Kalkaska	NR	23 ft	-
35	Duck Lake	Gogebic	NR	9.5 ft	-
36	Round Lake	Mecosta	NR	8.5 ft	-
37	Twin Lakes	Oakland	NR	5 ft	-
38	Pickerel Lake	Kalkaska	NR	15 ft	-
39	Eagle Lake	Allegan	NR	14 ft	-
40	Long Lake	Gogebic	NR	11.5 ft	-
41	Round Lake	Shiawassee	NR	6.5 ft	-
42	North Crooked Lake	Kalkaska	NR	12.5 ft	-
43	Round Lake	Oakland	NR	10 ft	-
44	Long Lake	Benzie	NR	11.5 ft	-
45	Cranberry Lake	Oakland	NR	7.3 ft	-
46	Indian Lake Northeast Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	NR	15.5 ft	-
47	Scram Lake	Kent	NR	10.5 ft	-
48	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	NR	24 ft	-
49	Otter Lake	Oakland	NR	10 ft	-
50	Eagle Lake	Van Buren	NR	15 ft	-

Showing top 50 of 75 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michigan lakes have golden shiner?

Golden Shiner are found in 75 lakes in Michigan. The average water quality grade of these lakes is B (Good).

What are the best golden shiner lakes in Michigan?

The best golden shiner lakes in Michigan by water quality are Kimball Lake Central Basin; Garfield Township, Murray Lake East Basin; Grattan Township, Scram Lake East Basin; Oakfield Township, Round Lake, Otter Lake.

Fish species from state agency survey, stocking, and public fishing-access records; water-quality grades from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys.