Johnny Darter Lakes in Michigan

Found in 108 Michigan lakes

Rough fish like Johnny Darter are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 108 Michigan lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Johnny Darter is moderately distributed — 108 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 Johnny Darter lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Johnny Darter documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

108

Michigan Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Johnny Darter Lakes Map

Every Michigan lake with documented johnny darter, colored by water-quality grade.

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Best Johnny Darter Lakes in Michigan

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Windover Lake South Basin; Freeman Township	Clare	A	15 ft	-
2	West Twin Lake East Basin; Albert Township	Montmorency	A	13 ft	-
3	Big Star Lake Central Basin; Lake Township	Lake	A	8 ft	-
4	Silver Lake	Washtenaw	A	11.5 ft	-
5	Ore Lake West Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	A	10 ft	-
6	Long Lake South Central Basin	Cass	A	10.5 ft	-
7	Farewell Lake West Basin; Hanover Township	Jackson	A	11.8 ft	-
8	Kimball Lake Central Basin; Garfield Township	Newaygo	A	4.5 ft	-
9	Upper Herring Lake; Central Basin; Blaine Township	Benzie	A	8 ft	-
10	Whitefish Lake Southeast Basin; Pierson Township	Montcalm	A	16 ft	-
11	Murray Lake East Basin; Grattan Township	Kent	A	7.2 ft	-
12	Round Lake	Benzie	A	15 ft	-
13	Crystal Lake	Hillsdale	A	9.5 ft	-
14	Otter Lake	Benzie	A	12 ft	-
15	Higgins Lake East Basin	Roscommon	A	35 ft	-
16	Higgins Lake Northwest Basin	Roscommon	A	34.5 ft	-
17	Emerald Lake	Kent	A	12 ft	-
18	Little Platte Lake North Basin	Benzie	A	6.5 ft	-
19	Fishers Lake North Central Basin; Park Township	St. Joseph	A	10.5 ft	-
20	Beaver Lake Central Basin; Ossineke Township	Alpena	A	16 ft	-
21	Sand Lake Central Basin; Cambridge Township	Lenawee	A	13.5 ft	-
22	Lower Herring Lake East Basin; Blaire Township	Benzie	A	16 ft	-
23	Round Lake Central Basin	Lenawee	A	12 ft	-
24	Long Lake	Gogebic	A	12 ft	-
25	Shingle Lake South Basin; Lincoln Township	Clare	A	-	-
26	Portage Lake South Basin; Dexter Township	Washtenaw	B	13 ft	-
27	Beaver Lake	Alger	B	14.7 ft	-
28	Beaver Lake	Keweenaw	B	8 ft	-
29	Tamarack Lake North Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	B	7 ft	-
30	Base Line Lake Northeast Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	B	10.5 ft	-
31	Barneys Lake	Charlevoix	B	10 ft	-
32	Crystal Lake; East Central Basin; Watersmeet Township	Gogebic	B	11 ft	-
33	Crooked Lake	Emmet	B	-	-
34	Rose Lake	Shiawassee	D	5 ft	-
35	Round Lake	Shiawassee	D	6 ft	-
36	Kimball Lake	Newaygo	NR	4.5 ft	-
37	Shavehead Lake East Basin; Porter Township	Cass	NR	7 ft	-
38	Sanford Lake	Benzie	NR	15.8 ft	-
39	Long Lake	Cass	NR	10.5 ft	-
40	Chippewa Lake	Mecosta	NR	11.5 ft	-
41	Silver Lake	Washtenaw	NR	11.5 ft	-
42	East Twin Lake	Montmorency	NR	9 ft	-
43	Windover Lake	Clare	NR	15 ft	-
44	Crystal Lake	Montcalm	NR	10 ft	-
45	Big Star Lake	Lake	NR	8 ft	-
46	Shavehead Lake	Cass	NR	7 ft	-
47	Farewell Lake	Jackson	NR	11.5 ft	-
48	Cedar Lake	Alcona	NR	8 ft	-
49	Rose Lake	Osceola	NR	10.8 ft	-
50	Rose Lake	Shiawassee	NR	5.5 ft	-

Showing top 50 of 108 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michigan lakes have johnny darter?

Johnny Darter are found in 108 lakes in Michigan. The average water quality grade of these lakes is A (Excellent).

What are the best johnny darter lakes in Michigan?

The best johnny darter lakes in Michigan by water quality are Windover Lake South Basin; Freeman Township, West Twin Lake East Basin; Albert Township, Big Star Lake Central Basin; Lake Township, Silver Lake, Ore Lake West Basin; Hamburg Township.

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