Greater Redhorse Fishing Guide

Other SpeciesDocumented in 65 graded lakes across 2 states

Rough fish like Greater Redhorse are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 65 the 49 states and 2 Canadian provinces LakeQuality covers lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Greater Redhorse is narrowly distributed — only 63 lakes in Minnesota and 2 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 letter grades: lakes with both an A or B grade and Greater Redhorse documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

Minnesota lakes →

Michigan lakes →

Avg. Grade

61 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Greater Redhorse Lakes

43%

12%

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	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	100 ft	21
2	Little Birch Lake	Todd	MN	A	89 ft	20
3	Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	138 ft	23
4	Washburn Lake	Cass	MN	A	111 ft	21
5	Ossawinnamakee Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	63 ft	18
6	Eagle Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	77 ft	16
7	Little Pine Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	36 ft	18
8	Norway Lake	Cass	MN	A	12 ft	14
9	Andrusia Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	60 ft	21
10	Bass Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	47 ft	14
11	Island Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	65 ft	16
12	Lawrence Lake	Cass	MN	A	71 ft	16
13	Two Inlets Lake	Becker	MN	A	60 ft	15
14	Inguadona Lake	Cass	MN	A	79 ft	20
15	Roosevelt Lake	Cass	MN	A	129 ft	18
16	Big Trout Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	128 ft	20
17	Broadwater Bay Lake	Cass	MN	A	54 ft	22
18	Wolf Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	57 ft	18
19	Le Homme Dieu Lake	Douglas	MN	A	85 ft	20
20	Hattie Lake	Cass	MN	A	30 ft	14
21	Boy Lake	Cass	MN	A	45 ft	20
22	Bertha Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	64 ft	22
23	Fourth Crow Wing Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	10 ft	16
24	Carlos Lake	Douglas	MN	A	163 ft	21
25	Cooper Lake	Cass	MN	A	70 ft	12
26	Lasalle Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	213 ft	15
27	Cass Lake Allens Bay	Beltrami	MN	A	120 ft	21
28	Cass Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	120 ft	21
29	Third Crow Wing Lake	Hubbard	MN	B	35 ft	18
30	Big Wolf Lake	Hubbard	MN	B	57 ft	18
31	Tamarack Lake North Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	MI	B	-	20
32	Base Line Lake Northeast Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	MI	B	-	16
33	Upper South Long Lake	Crow Wing	MN	C	47 ft	16
34	Irving Lake	Beltrami	MN	C	19 ft	20
35	Mitchell Lake	Crow Wing	MN	C	78 ft	18
36	Upper Twin Lake	Hubbard	MN	C	12 ft	18
37	Daggett Lake	Crow Wing	MN	C	23 ft	21
38	East Leaf Lake	Otter Tail	MN	C	43 ft	19
39	Drewery Lake	Beltrami	MN	C	120 ft	21
40	Big Rice Lake	Beltrami	MN	C	13 ft	14
41	Margaret Lake	Cass	MN	D	26 ft	17
42	Emily Lake	Pope	MN	D	6 ft	26
43	Krays Lake	Stearns	MN	D	40 ft	15
44	Lower Twin Lake	Wadena	MN	D	26 ft	21
45	Horseshoe Lake	Stearns	MN	F	57 ft	25
46	Long Lake	Stearns	MN	F	35 ft	23
47	Knife Lake	Kanabec	MN	F	15 ft	19
48	Cedar Island Lake	Stearns	MN	F	75 ft	22
49	Knaus Lake	Stearns	MN	F	20 ft	17
50	Bolfing Lake	Stearns	MN	F	36 ft	16

Showing top 50 of 65 lakes with greater redhorse.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have greater redhorse?

Greater Redhorse are found in 65 graded lakes: 63 in Minnesota, 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 Lower Hay Lake, Little Birch Lake, Whitefish Lake, Washburn Lake, Ossawinnamakee 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 · 1,428 total

Bluegill Lakes

Found together in 63 lakes · 1,601 total

Northern Pike Lakes

Found together in 63 lakes · 2,487 total

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 63 lakes · 1,631 total

Largemouth Bass Lakes

Found together in 62 lakes · 2,593 total

Pumpkinseed Lakes

Found together in 62 lakes · 1,370 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.