Greater redhorse Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 63 Minnesota lakes · 2 in Michigan

Rough fish like Greater redhorse are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 2 Minnesota 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.

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Greater redhorse Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Ossawinnamakee Lake	Crow Wing	A	20 ft	63 ft
2	Bass Lake	Crow Wing	A	16.1 ft	47 ft
3	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	A	18.5 ft	100 ft
4	Andrusia Lake	Beltrami	A	15.1 ft	60 ft
5	Big Trout Lake	Crow Wing	A	16.9 ft	128 ft
6	Bertha Lake	Crow Wing	A	17.1 ft	64 ft
7	Carlos Lake	Douglas	A	18 ft	163 ft
8	Cooper Lake	Cass	A	17.1 ft	70 ft
9	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	A	19.5 ft	100 ft
10	Cass Lake Allens Bay	Beltrami	A	16.6 ft	120 ft
11	Cass Lake	Beltrami	A	18.5 ft	120 ft
12	Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	A	14.4 ft	138 ft
13	Eagle Lake	Hubbard	A	11.2 ft	77 ft
14	Little Pine Lake	Crow Wing	A	10 ft	36 ft
15	Little Birch Lake	Todd	A	13 ft	89 ft
16	Washburn Lake	Cass	A	14.1 ft	111 ft
17	Island Lake	Hubbard	A	10.5 ft	65 ft
18	Inguadona Lake	Cass	A	12 ft	79 ft
19	Roosevelt Lake	Cass	A	11.1 ft	129 ft
20	Broadwater Bay Lake	Cass	A	14.4 ft	54 ft
21	Hattie Lake	Cass	A	10.3 ft	30 ft
22	Second Crow Wing Lake	Hubbard	A	11.3 ft	35 ft
23	Lawrence Lake	Cass	B	9.8 ft	71 ft
24	Turtle Lake	Todd	B	12 ft	39 ft
25	Mitchell Lake	Crow Wing	B	7 ft	78 ft
26	Sylvia Lake	Stearns	B	10 ft	56 ft
27	Two Inlets Lake	Becker	B	9 ft	60 ft
28	Le Homme Dieu Lake	Douglas	B	13.1 ft	85 ft
29	Wolf Lake	Beltrami	B	9 ft	57 ft
30	Boy Lake	Cass	B	10.5 ft	45 ft
31	Little Rabbit Lake	Crow Wing	B	13.5 ft	30 ft
32	Inguadona Lake	Cass	B	12.5 ft	79 ft
33	Alvin Lake	Douglas	B	10.2 ft	163 ft
34	Hoot Lake	Otter Tail	B	11.7 ft	20 ft
35	Lasalle Lake	Hubbard	B	6.9 ft	213 ft
36	Big Wolf Lake	Hubbard	B	11.5 ft	57 ft
37	Upper South Long Lake	Crow Wing	B	6 ft	47 ft
38	Norway Lake	Cass	B	6.9 ft	12 ft
39	Upper Twin Lake	Hubbard	B	6.9 ft	12 ft
40	Daggett Lake	Crow Wing	B	8.7 ft	23 ft
41	East Leaf Lake	Otter Tail	B	7.9 ft	43 ft
42	Fourth Crow Wing Lake	Hubbard	B	8 ft	10 ft
43	Drewery Lake	Beltrami	B	3.5 ft	120 ft
44	Lower Twin Lake	Wadena	C	6.9 ft	26 ft
45	Margaret Lake	Cass	C	5.5 ft	26 ft
46	Irving Lake	Beltrami	C	5.6 ft	19 ft
47	Third Crow Wing Lake	Hubbard	C	2.5 ft	35 ft
48	Orwell Lake	Otter Tail	C	4.1 ft	25 ft
49	Bolfing Lake	Stearns	C	6.3 ft	36 ft
50	Big Rice Lake	Beltrami	C	5.7 ft	13 ft

Showing top 50 of 63 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have greater redhorse?

Greater redhorse are found in 63 lakes in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is B (Good).

What are the best greater redhorse lakes in Minnesota?

The best greater redhorse lakes in Minnesota by water quality are Ossawinnamakee Lake, Bass Lake, Lower Hay Lake, Andrusia Lake, Big Trout Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.