Green sunfish Lakes in Minnesota, Wisconsin & Michigan

Other SpeciesFound in 87 lakes

Green sunfish is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 87 lakes carry documentation. Green sunfish is narrowly distributed — only 87 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 Green sunfish lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Green sunfish documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

Michigan lakes →

Avg. Grade

46 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Green sunfish Lakes

242

31%

198

25%

149

19%

115

15%

11%

Best Green sunfish Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with green sunfish ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	East Fox Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	65 ft	15
2	North Long Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	97 ft	18
3	Big Sugar Bush Lake	Becker	MN	A	42 ft	13
4	Long Lake	Cass	MN	A	115 ft	14
5	Long Lake	Clearwater	MN	A	80 ft	15
6	Long Lake	Becker	MN	A	61 ft	16
7	Ossawinnamakee Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	63 ft	18
8	Clear Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	63 ft	15
9	Clear Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	24 ft	14
10	Eagle Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	46 ft	10
11	West Fox Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	55 ft	15
12	Spearhead Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	81 ft	17
13	Ida Lake	Douglas	MN	A	106 ft	19
14	Star Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	83 ft	12
15	Star Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	94 ft	17
16	Upper Maple Lake	Wright	MN	A	76 ft	15
17	Girl Lake	Cass	MN	A	81 ft	18
18	Charlotte Lake	Wright	MN	A	46 ft	10
19	Bass Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	47 ft	14
20	Crooked Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	54 ft	16
21	Cedar Lake	Morrison	MN	A	88 ft	14
22	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	55 ft	20
23	Square Lake	Washington	MN	A	68 ft	9
24	Big Pine Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	78 ft	15
25	Strawberry Lake	Becker	MN	A	40 ft	16
26	Alexander Lake	Morrison	MN	A	64 ft	19
27	Gull Lake	Cass	MN	A	80 ft	22
28	Little Wabana Lake	Itasca	MN	A	57 ft	6
29	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	100 ft	21
30	Latoka Lake	Douglas	MN	A	108 ft	16
31	Unnamed Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	95 ft	17
32	Cowdry Lake	Douglas	MN	A	52 ft	19
33	Andrusia Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	60 ft	21
34	Big Mcdonald Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	46 ft	15
35	Island Lake	Cass	MN	A	45 ft	12
36	Island Lake	Becker	MN	A	38 ft	15
37	Island Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	76 ft	19
38	Lizzie Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	66 ft	21
39	Turtle Lake	Becker	MN	A	73 ft	13
40	Mukooda Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	78 ft	14
41	Pokegama Lake	Itasca	MN	A	112 ft	19
42	Pickerel Lake	Clearwater	MN	A	60 ft	12
43	George Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	A	34 ft	15
44	West Battle Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	108 ft	17
45	Wabana Lake	Itasca	MN	A	115 ft	14
46	Little Mantrap Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	54 ft	13
47	Kimball Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	77 ft	16
48	West Sylvia Lake	Wright	MN	A	97 ft	15
49	Mary Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	48 ft	14
50	Hand Lake	Cass	MN	A	57 ft	15

Showing top 50 of 789 lakes with green sunfish.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have green sunfish?

Green sunfish are found in 87 graded lakes: 87 in Michigan. The average water quality grade of lakes with green sunfish is B (Good).

What are the best lakes for green sunfish?

The best green sunfish lakes by water quality are East Fox Lake, North Long Lake, Big Sugar Bush Lake, Long Lake, Long Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where green sunfish have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with green sunfish?

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

Other Fish Species in Green sunfish Lakes

Bluegill Lakes

Found together in 665 lakes · 240 total

Black Crappie Lakes

Found together in 649 lakes · 41 total

Northern pike Lakes

Found together in 646 lakes · 99 total

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 638 lakes · 113 total

hybrid sunfish Lakes

Found together in 632 lakes · 1,124 total

Largemouth bass Lakes

Found together in 625 lakes · 172 total

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.