greater redhorse Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 59 Minnesota lakes

Rough fish like greater redhorse are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 59 Minnesota lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. greater redhorse is narrowly distributed — only 59 Minnesota lakes and 0 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 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	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	A	19 ft	100 ft
2	Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	A	15.1 ft	138 ft
3	Ossawinnamakee Lake	Crow Wing	A	20 ft	63 ft
4	Andrusia Lake	Beltrami	A	15.5 ft	60 ft
5	Bass Lake	Crow Wing	A	16.1 ft	47 ft
6	Big Trout Lake	Crow Wing	A	16.4 ft	128 ft
7	Bertha Lake	Crow Wing	A	17.2 ft	64 ft
8	Carlos Lake	Douglas	A	17.2 ft	163 ft
9	Cooper Lake	Cass	A	17.1 ft	70 ft
10	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	A	20 ft	100 ft
11	Little Birch Lake	Todd	A	14 ft	89 ft
12	Washburn Lake	Cass	A	14 ft	111 ft
13	Eagle Lake	Hubbard	A	11.3 ft	77 ft
14	Little Pine Lake	Crow Wing	A	10.2 ft	36 ft
15	Island Lake	Hubbard	A	10.5 ft	65 ft
16	Lawrence Lake	Cass	A	10 ft	71 ft
17	Inguadona Lake	Cass	A	12.1 ft	79 ft
18	Roosevelt Lake	Cass	A	11 ft	129 ft
19	Broadwater Bay Lake	Cass	A	14.5 ft	54 ft
20	Turtle Lake	Todd	B	12 ft	39 ft
21	Mitchell Lake	Crow Wing	B	7 ft	78 ft
22	Sylvia Lake	Stearns	B	10 ft	56 ft
23	Two Inlets Lake	Becker	B	9.5 ft	60 ft
24	Wolf Lake	Beltrami	B	9 ft	57 ft
25	Le Homme Dieu Lake	Douglas	B	13.1 ft	85 ft
26	Hattie Lake	Cass	B	9.8 ft	30 ft
27	Little Rabbit Lake	Crow Wing	B	13.5 ft	30 ft
28	Inguadona Lake	Cass	B	12.5 ft	79 ft
29	Hoot Lake	Otter Tail	B	11.7 ft	20 ft
30	Alvin Lake	Douglas	B	10.5 ft	163 ft
31	Lasalle Lake	Hubbard	B	6.9 ft	213 ft
32	Big Wolf Lake	Hubbard	B	11.7 ft	57 ft
33	Upper South Long Lake	Crow Wing	B	6 ft	47 ft
34	Upper Twin Lake	Hubbard	B	6.9 ft	12 ft
35	Boy Lake	Cass	B	8.9 ft	45 ft
36	Daggett Lake	Crow Wing	B	8.9 ft	23 ft
37	East Leaf Lake	Otter Tail	B	7.9 ft	43 ft
38	Fourth Crow Wing Lake	Hubbard	B	8 ft	10 ft
39	Drewery Lake	Beltrami	B	3.5 ft	120 ft
40	Norway Lake	Cass	C	6.6 ft	12 ft
41	Lower Twin Lake	Wadena	C	6.9 ft	26 ft
42	Bolfing Lake	Stearns	C	7.6 ft	36 ft
43	Margaret Lake	Cass	C	5.5 ft	26 ft
44	Irving Lake	Beltrami	C	5.3 ft	19 ft
45	Third Crow Wing Lake	Hubbard	C	2.5 ft	35 ft
46	Orwell Lake	Otter Tail	C	4.1 ft	25 ft
47	Long Lake	Stearns	D	2.5 ft	35 ft
48	Cokato Lake	Wright	D	6 ft	52 ft
49	Hanging Kettle Lake	Aitkin	D	6.3 ft	35 ft
50	Cedar Island Lake	Stearns	D	4 ft	75 ft

Showing top 50 of 59 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have greater redhorse?

greater redhorse are found in 59 lakes in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is C (Fair).

What are the best greater redhorse lakes in Minnesota?

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

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.