Iowa Darter Lakes in Michigan, 126 Lakes

Iowa Darter is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 126 lakes carry documentation. 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 phosphorus and chlorophyll-a readings 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 each lake's clarity, phosphorus and algae readings: lakes with low nutrient readings and Iowa Darter documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

126

Michigan Lakes

Counties

Iowa Darter Lakes Map

Every Michigan lake with documented iowa darter.

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Best Iowa Darter Lakes in Michigan

Rank	Lake	County	Clarity	Depth
1	Ore Lake	Livingston	9 ft	81 ft
2	Rennie Lake	Grand Traverse	14 ft	27 ft
3	Emerald Lake	Kent	11.5 ft	-
4	Sawyer Lake	Dickinson	7 ft	20 ft
5	Hanbury Lake	Dickinson	14 ft	-
6	Lake George	Clare	9.5 ft	25 ft
7	Derby Lake	Montcalm	14 ft	87 ft
8	Big Blue Lake	Kalkaska	24 ft	-
9	Murray Lake	Kent	9 ft	-
10	Clear Lake	Jackson	10.5 ft	34 ft
11	Round Lake	Lenawee	12.3 ft	67 ft
12	Sylvan Lake	Oakland	10.3 ft	-
13	Whitefish Lake	Montcalm	13.5 ft	-
14	Round Lake	Benzie	15 ft	-
15	Otter Lake	Benzie	12 ft	-
16	Au Sable Lake	Ogemaw	10.5 ft	52 ft
17	Manistee Lake South	Manistee	-	-
18	Crooked Lake	Emmet	-	50 ft
19	Spring Lake	Emmet	-	-
20	Cranberry Lake	Oakland	8.5 ft	25 ft
21	Tamarack Lake	Livingston	7 ft	34 ft
22	Bass Lake	Leelanau	11.2 ft	-
23	Lake George	Keweenaw	8 ft	-
24	Papoose Lake	Kalkaska	22 ft	17 ft
25	Walloon Lake	Emmet	-	-
26	North Pond	Chippewa	1.3 ft	-
27	Round Lake	Shiawassee	6 ft	-
28	Lower Herring Lake	Benzie	13 ft	50 ft
29	Silver Lake	Cheboygan	12.5 ft	-
30	Lake Bellaire	Antrim	12.5 ft	95 ft
31	Crooked Lake	Barry	12 ft	-
32	Clifford Lake	Montcalm	10 ft	-
33	Long Lake	Gogebic	12 ft	60 ft
34	Hanbury Lake	Dickinson	14 ft	-
35	Corey Lake	St. Joseph	14.5 ft	-
36	Chippewa Lake	Mecosta	11 ft	40 ft
37	Silver Lake	Van Buren	9.5 ft	-
38	Shavehead Lake	Cass	8 ft	70 ft
39	Avery Lake	Montmorency	27 ft	-
40	Clear Lake	Ogemaw	15 ft	50 ft
41	North Crooked Lake	Kalkaska	14 ft	-
42	Cranberry Lake	Oakland	8.5 ft	25 ft
43	Shavehead Lake	Cass	8.5 ft	70 ft
44	Brevoort Lake	Mackinac	10.5 ft	-
45	Lake Fenton	Genesee	17.5 ft	90 ft
46	North Blue Lake	Kalkaska	19 ft	78 ft
47	Emerald Lake	Newaygo	13.5 ft	49 ft
48	Eagle Lake	Cass	7 ft	35 ft
49	Wall Lake	Barry	10 ft	36 ft
50	Muskellunge Lake	Montcalm	11 ft	37 ft

Showing top 50 of 126 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michigan lakes have iowa darter?

Iowa Darter are found in 126 lakes in Michigan.

What are the best iowa darter lakes in Michigan?

The best iowa darter lakes in Michigan by water quality are Ore Lake, Rennie Lake, Emerald Lake, Sawyer Lake, Hanbury Lake.

Fish species from state agency survey, stocking, and public fishing-access records; water-quality readings from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys.