Iowa darter Lakes in Michigan

Found in 131 Michigan 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. 131 lakes carry documentation. Iowa darter is moderately distributed — 131 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 LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Iowa darter documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

131

Michigan Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Iowa darter Lakes in Michigan

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Squaw Lake	Kalkaska	A	16 ft	-
2	Corey Lake	St. Joseph	A	16 ft	-
3	Chicagon Lake	Iron	A	20.3 ft	-
4	Whitefish Lake Southeast Basin; Pierson Township	Montcalm	A	16 ft	-
5	Whitefish Lake	Montcalm	A	16.8 ft	-
6	Cub Lake Central Basin	Kalkaska	A	19 ft	-
7	Pickerel Lake	Kalkaska	A	15 ft	-
8	Round Lake	Benzie	A	15 ft	-
9	Bear Lake Southeast Basin	Kalkaska	A	36.5 ft	-
10	Round Lake	Emmet	A	-	-
11	Long Lake North Central Basin; Long Lake Township	Grand Traverse	A	23.8 ft	-
12	Avery Lake	Montmorency	A	27 ft	-
13	Indian Lake Northeast Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	A	15.5 ft	-
14	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	A	24 ft	-
15	Beaver Lake Central Basin; Ossineke Township	Alpena	A	16 ft	-
16	Round Lake	Benzie	A	15 ft	-
17	Shag Lake	Marquette	A	15.3 ft	-
18	Lower Herring Lake East Basin; Blaire Township	Benzie	A	16 ft	-
19	Burt Lake	Cheboygan	A	15.5 ft	-
20	Papoose Lake Central Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	A	21 ft	-
21	Papoose Lake	Kalkaska	A	20 ft	-
22	Silver Lake	Cheboygan	A	32 ft	-
23	Lake Geneserath	Charlevoix	A	16.5 ft	-
24	Long Lake	Cheboygan	A	18 ft	-
25	Douglas Lake	Otsego	A	16.5 ft	-
26	Bass Lake Northeast Basin	Kalkaska	A	18.5 ft	-
27	Indian Lake Central Basin; Stambaugh Township	Iron	A	17 ft	-
28	Manistee Lake South	Manistee	A	-	-
29	Susan Lake	Charlevoix	A	-	-
30	Walloon Lake	Emmet	A	-	-
31	Crooked Lake	Emmet	A	-	-
32	Spring Lake	Emmet	A	-	-
33	Elk Lake	Antrim	A	-	-
34	Big Blue Lake North Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	A	-	-
35	Silver Lake	Washtenaw	A	11.5 ft	-
36	Bass Lake	Leelanau	A	11.2 ft	-
37	Rennie Lake; Central Basin; East Bay Township	Grand Traverse	A	13 ft	-
38	Ore Lake West Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	A	10 ft	-
39	Squaw Lake Central Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	A	16 ft	-
40	Clear Lake East Basin; Waterloo Township	Jackson	A	10 ft	-
41	Otter Lake	Benzie	A	12 ft	-
42	North Crooked Lake South Central Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	A	13.5 ft	-
43	Round Lake Central Basin	Lenawee	A	12 ft	-
44	Au Sable Lake East Central Basin,Goodar Township	Ogemaw	A	10.5 ft	-
45	Long Lake	Cass	B	10.5 ft	-
46	Bass Lake	Lake	B	14 ft	-
47	Bear Lake	Manistee	B	11 ft	-
48	Chippewa Lake	Mecosta	B	11.5 ft	-
49	Silver Lake	Washtenaw	B	11.5 ft	-
50	Bass Lake	Montcalm	B	10.8 ft	-

Showing top 50 of 131 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michigan lakes have iowa darter?

Iowa darter are found in 131 lakes in Michigan. The average water quality grade of these lakes is B (Good).

What are the best iowa darter lakes in Michigan?

The best iowa darter lakes in Michigan by water quality are Squaw Lake, Corey Lake, Chicagon Lake, Whitefish Lake Southeast Basin; Pierson Township, Whitefish Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.