Greater redhorse Lakes in Minnesota, Wisconsin & Michigan

Other SpeciesFound in 2 lakes

Rough fish like Greater redhorse are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 2 Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Greater redhorse is narrowly distributed — only 2 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 Greater redhorse lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Greater redhorse documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

Michigan lakes →

Avg. Grade

61 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Greater redhorse Lakes

34%

12%

11%

Best Greater redhorse Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with greater redhorse ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Ossawinnamakee Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	63 ft	18
2	Bass Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	47 ft	14
3	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	100 ft	21
4	Andrusia Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	60 ft	21
5	Big Trout Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	128 ft	20
6	Bertha Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	64 ft	22
7	Carlos Lake	Douglas	MN	A	163 ft	21
8	Cooper Lake	Cass	MN	A	70 ft	12
9	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	100 ft	21
10	Cass Lake Allens Bay	Beltrami	MN	A	120 ft	21
11	Cass Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	120 ft	21
12	Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	138 ft	23
13	Eagle Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	77 ft	16
14	Little Pine Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	36 ft	18
15	Little Birch Lake	Todd	MN	A	89 ft	20
16	Washburn Lake	Cass	MN	A	111 ft	21
17	Island Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	65 ft	16
18	Inguadona Lake	Cass	MN	A	79 ft	20
19	Roosevelt Lake	Cass	MN	A	129 ft	18
20	Broadwater Bay Lake	Cass	MN	A	54 ft	22
21	Hattie Lake	Cass	MN	A	30 ft	14
22	Second Crow Wing Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	35 ft	15
23	Lawrence Lake	Cass	MN	B	71 ft	16
24	Turtle Lake	Todd	MN	B	39 ft	18
25	Mitchell Lake	Crow Wing	MN	B	78 ft	18
26	Sylvia Lake	Stearns	MN	B	56 ft	19
27	Two Inlets Lake	Becker	MN	B	60 ft	15
28	Le Homme Dieu Lake	Douglas	MN	B	85 ft	20
29	Wolf Lake	Beltrami	MN	B	57 ft	18
30	Boy Lake	Cass	MN	B	45 ft	20
31	Little Rabbit Lake	Crow Wing	MN	B	30 ft	19
32	Inguadona Lake	Cass	MN	B	79 ft	20
33	Alvin Lake	Douglas	MN	B	163 ft	21
34	Hoot Lake	Otter Tail	MN	B	20 ft	16
35	Lasalle Lake	Hubbard	MN	B	213 ft	15
36	Big Wolf Lake	Hubbard	MN	B	57 ft	18
37	Base Line Lake Northeast Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	MI	B	-	16
38	Upper South Long Lake	Crow Wing	MN	B	47 ft	16
39	Norway Lake	Cass	MN	B	12 ft	14
40	Upper Twin Lake	Hubbard	MN	B	12 ft	18
41	Daggett Lake	Crow Wing	MN	B	23 ft	21
42	East Leaf Lake	Otter Tail	MN	B	43 ft	19
43	Fourth Crow Wing Lake	Hubbard	MN	B	10 ft	16
44	Drewery Lake	Beltrami	MN	B	120 ft	21
45	Lower Twin Lake	Wadena	MN	C	26 ft	21
46	Tamarack Lake North Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	MI	C	-	20
47	Margaret Lake	Cass	MN	C	26 ft	17
48	Irving Lake	Beltrami	MN	C	19 ft	20
49	Third Crow Wing Lake	Hubbard	MN	C	35 ft	18
50	Orwell Lake	Otter Tail	MN	C	25 ft	17

Showing top 50 of 65 lakes with greater redhorse.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have greater redhorse?

Greater redhorse are found in 2 graded lakes: 2 in Michigan. The average water quality grade of lakes with greater redhorse is B (Good).

What are the best lakes for greater redhorse?

The best greater redhorse lakes by water quality are Ossawinnamakee Lake, Bass Lake, Lower Hay Lake, Andrusia Lake, Big Trout Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where greater redhorse have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with greater redhorse?

Greater redhorse are most commonly found alongside black crappie, bluegill, greater redhorse, northern pike, yellow perch. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Greater redhorse Lakes

Black Crappie Lakes

Found together in 63 lakes · 41 total

Bluegill Lakes

Found together in 63 lakes · 240 total

Northern pike Lakes

Found together in 63 lakes · 99 total

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 63 lakes · 113 total

Largemouth bass Lakes

Found together in 62 lakes · 172 total

Pumpkinseed Lakes

Found together in 62 lakes · 145 total

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.