Grass pickerel Lakes in Minnesota & Wisconsin

Other SpeciesFound in 50 lakes

Rough fish like Grass pickerel are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 50 Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Grass pickerel is narrowly distributed — only 0 Minnesota lakes and 50 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 Grass pickerel lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Grass pickerel documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

Minnesota

Wisconsin

Avg. Grade

Water Quality of Grass pickerel Lakes

28%

38%

28%

Best Grass pickerel Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with grass pickerel ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Corey Lake	St. Joseph	MI	A	-	13
2	Corey Lake Southeastern Basin; Fabius Township	St. Joseph	MI	A	-	10
3	Twin Lake	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	13
4	Whitefish Lake Southeast Basin; Pierson Township	Montcalm	MI	A	-	21
5	Whitefish Lake	Montcalm	MI	A	-	21
6	Round Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	37
7	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	MI	A	-	40
8	Round Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	37
9	Long Lake	Cheboygan	MI	A	-	40
10	Lime Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	15
11	Pickerel Lake East Central Basin; Garfield Township Sec. 1	Newaygo	MI	A	-	21
12	Long Lake; Lake Township; Section 31	Benzie	MI	A	-	40
13	Clear Lake East Basin; Waterloo Township	Jackson	MI	A	-	17
14	Round Lake Central Basin	Lenawee	MI	A	-	25
15	Long Lake	Cass	MI	B	-	25
16	Bear Lake	Manistee	MI	B	-	14
17	Chippewa Lake	Mecosta	MI	B	-	21
18	Portage Lake South Basin; Dexter Township	Washtenaw	MI	B	-	26
19	Long Lake South Central Basin	Cass	MI	B	-	25
20	Round Lake; Independence Township; Section 2	Oakland	MI	B	-	37
21	Murray Lake East Basin; Grattan Township	Kent	MI	B	-	29
22	Little Portage Lake Northeast Basin; Dexter Township	Washtenaw	MI	B	-	1
23	Eagle Lake	Allegan	MI	B	-	30
24	Long Lake	Gogebic	MI	B	-	40
25	Lake of the Woods	Branch	MI	B	-	16
26	Round Lake	Oakland	MI	B	-	37
27	Long Lake	Benzie	MI	B	-	40
28	Gun Lake	Mason	MI	B	-	17
29	Clear Lake	Jackson	MI	B	-	16
30	Little Portage Lake	Washtenaw	MI	B	-	1
31	Devils Lake	Lenawee	MI	B	-	27
32	Round Lake	Lenawee	MI	B	-	23
33	Long Lake	Gogebic	MI	B	-	40
34	Shavehead Lake East Basin; Porter Township	Cass	MI	C	-	25
35	White Lake	Muskegon	MI	C	-	17
36	Shavehead Lake	Cass	MI	C	-	26
37	Kimball Lake Central Basin; Garfield Township	Newaygo	MI	C	-	21
38	Wall Lake	Barry	MI	C	-	18
39	Paw Paw Lake	Hillsdale	MI	C	-	4
40	Round Lake	Mecosta	MI	C	-	37
41	Paw Paw Lake	Kalamazoo	MI	C	-	4
42	Paw Paw Lake	Hillsdale	MI	C	-	4
43	Baldwin Lake Northwest Basin	Cass	MI	C	-	25
44	Round Lake	Kent	MI	C	-	37
45	Baldwins Lake	Cass	MI	C	-	33
46	Twin Lake; Oakland Township; Section 14	Oakland	MI	C	-	13
47	Round Lake	Shiawassee	MI	C	-	37
48	Kimball Lake	Newaygo	MI	D	-	20
49	Eagle Lake	Cass	MI	D	-	22
50	Round Lake	Shiawassee	MI	D	-	37

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have grass pickerel?

Grass pickerel are found in 50 lakes across Minnesota and Wisconsin, 0 in Minnesota and 50 in Wisconsin. The average water quality grade of lakes with grass pickerel is B (Good).

What are the best lakes for grass pickerel?

The best grass pickerel lakes by water quality are Corey Lake, Corey Lake Southeastern Basin; Fabius Township, Twin Lake, Whitefish Lake Southeast Basin; Pierson Township, Whitefish Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where grass pickerel have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with grass pickerel?

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

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.