Iowa Darter Fishing Guide, 126 Best-Graded Lakes

Rough fish like Iowa Darter are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 126 the United States (49 states), Canada (Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador), and 38 other country hubs. LakeQuality covers lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Iowa Darter is moderately distributed — 126 lakes in Michigan. Some counties have it, others do not, so checking the per-lake pages matters.

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 Iowa Darter lake list below against the letter grades: lakes with both an A or B grade and Iowa Darter documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

126

Total Lakes

126

Michigan lakes →

Avg. Grade

49 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Iowa Darter Lakes

15%

Best Iowa Darter Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with iowa darter ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Ore Lake	Livingston	MI	A	81 ft	14
2	Rennie Lake	Grand Traverse	MI	A	27 ft	9
3	Emerald Lake	Kent	MI	A	-	15
4	Sawyer Lake	Dickinson	MI	A	20 ft	8
5	Hanbury Lake	Dickinson	MI	A	-	17
6	Lake George	Clare	MI	A	25 ft	8
7	Derby Lake	Montcalm	MI	A	87 ft	12
8	Big Blue Lake	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	17
9	Murray Lake	Kent	MI	A	-	29
10	Clear Lake	Jackson	MI	A	34 ft	17
11	Round Lake	Lenawee	MI	A	67 ft	25
12	Sylvan Lake	Oakland	MI	A	-	14
13	Whitefish Lake	Montcalm	MI	A	-	21
14	Round Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	37
15	Otter Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	30
16	Au Sable Lake	Ogemaw	MI	A	52 ft	11
17	Manistee Lake South	Manistee	MI	A	-	7
18	Crooked Lake	Emmet	MI	A	50 ft	26
19	Spring Lake	Emmet	MI	A	-	15
20	Cranberry Lake	Oakland	MI	B	25 ft	14
21	Tamarack Lake	Livingston	MI	B	34 ft	20
22	Bass Lake	Leelanau	MI	B	-	13
23	Lake George	Keweenaw	MI	B	-	9
24	Papoose Lake	Kalkaska	MI	B	17 ft	7
25	Walloon Lake	Emmet	MI	B	-	20
26	North Pond	Chippewa	MI	C	-	11
27	Round Lake	Shiawassee	MI	D	-	37
28	Lower Herring Lake	Benzie	MI	NR	50 ft	25
29	Silver Lake	Cheboygan	MI	NR	-	15
30	Lake Bellaire	Antrim	MI	NR	95 ft	22
31	Crooked Lake	Barry	MI	NR	-	27
32	Clifford Lake	Montcalm	MI	NR	-	10
33	Long Lake	Gogebic	MI	NR	60 ft	40
34	Hanbury Lake	Dickinson	MI	NR	-	17
35	Corey Lake	St. Joseph	MI	NR	-	13
36	Chippewa Lake	Mecosta	MI	NR	40 ft	21
37	Silver Lake	Van Buren	MI	NR	-	15
38	Shavehead Lake	Cass	MI	NR	70 ft	25
39	Avery Lake	Montmorency	MI	NR	-	9
40	Clear Lake	Ogemaw	MI	NR	50 ft	16
41	North Crooked Lake	Kalkaska	MI	NR	-	6
42	Cranberry Lake	Oakland	MI	NR	25 ft	14
43	Shavehead Lake	Cass	MI	NR	70 ft	26
44	Brevoort Lake	Mackinac	MI	NR	-	15
45	Lake Fenton	Genesee	MI	NR	90 ft	22
46	North Blue Lake	Kalkaska	MI	NR	78 ft	8
47	Emerald Lake	Newaygo	MI	NR	49 ft	15
48	Eagle Lake	Cass	MI	NR	35 ft	22
49	Wall Lake	Barry	MI	NR	36 ft	18
50	Muskellunge Lake	Montcalm	MI	NR	37 ft	12

Showing top 50 of 126 lakes with iowa darter.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have iowa darter?

Iowa Darter are found in 126 graded lakes: 126 in Michigan. The average water quality grade of lakes with iowa darter is A (Excellent).

What are the best lakes for iowa darter?

The best iowa darter lakes by water quality are Ore Lake, Rennie Lake, Emerald Lake, Sawyer Lake, Hanbury Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where iowa darter have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with iowa darter?

Iowa Darter are most commonly found alongside iowa darter, yellow perch, largemouth bass, bluegill, bluntnose minnow. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Iowa Darter Lakes

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 112 lakes · 1,577 total

Largemouth Bass Lakes

Found together in 104 lakes · 2,489 total

Bluegill Lakes

Found together in 103 lakes · 1,550 total

Bluntnose Minnow Lakes

Found together in 103 lakes · 160 total

Pumpkinseed Lakes

Found together in 81 lakes · 1,328 total

Rock Bass Lakes

Found together in 72 lakes · 786 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.