Johnny darter Lakes in Michigan

Found in 109 Michigan lakes

Rough fish like Johnny darter are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 109 Michigan lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Johnny darter is moderately distributed — 109 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.

109

Michigan Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Johnny darter Lakes in Michigan

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Windover Lake South Basin; Freeman Township	Clare	A	15 ft	-
2	Sanford Lake	Benzie	A	15.8 ft	-
3	Windover Lake	Clare	A	15 ft	-
4	Whitefish Lake Southeast Basin; Pierson Township	Montcalm	A	16 ft	-
5	Whitefish Lake	Montcalm	A	16.8 ft	-
6	Pickerel Lake	Kalkaska	A	15 ft	-
7	Round Lake	Benzie	A	15 ft	-
8	Lake Margrethe	Crawford	A	16 ft	-
9	Higgins Lake East Basin	Roscommon	A	35 ft	-
10	Higgins Lake Northwest Basin	Roscommon	A	34.5 ft	-
11	Crystal Lake	Benzie	A	32 ft	-
12	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	A	24 ft	-
13	Beaver Lake Central Basin; Ossineke Township	Alpena	A	16 ft	-
14	Opal Lake	Otsego	A	18.5 ft	-
15	Round Lake	Benzie	A	15 ft	-
16	Diamond Lake	Osceola	A	16 ft	-
17	Monocle Lake	Chippewa	A	16 ft	-
18	Lower Herring Lake East Basin; Blaire Township	Benzie	A	16 ft	-
19	Burt Lake	Cheboygan	A	15.5 ft	-
20	Silver Lake	Cheboygan	A	32 ft	-
21	Lake Geneserath	Charlevoix	A	16.5 ft	-
22	Long Lake	Cheboygan	A	18 ft	-
23	Douglas Lake	Otsego	A	16.5 ft	-
24	Crooked Lake	Emmet	A	-	-
25	Spring Lake	Emmet	A	-	-
26	Elk Lake	Antrim	A	-	-
27	West Twin Lake East Basin; Albert Township	Montmorency	A	13 ft	-
28	Silver Lake	Washtenaw	A	11.5 ft	-
29	Ore Lake West Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	A	10 ft	-
30	Farewell Lake West Basin; Hanover Township	Jackson	A	11.8 ft	-
31	Beaver Lake	Alger	A	14.7 ft	-
32	Otter Lake	Benzie	A	12 ft	-
33	Fishers Lake North Central Basin; Park Township	St. Joseph	A	10.5 ft	-
34	Sand Lake Central Basin; Cambridge Township	Lenawee	A	13.5 ft	-
35	Round Lake Central Basin	Lenawee	A	12 ft	-
36	Au Sable Lake East Central Basin,Goodar Township	Ogemaw	A	10.5 ft	-
37	Long Lake	Cass	B	10.5 ft	-
38	Chippewa Lake	Mecosta	B	11.5 ft	-
39	Silver Lake	Washtenaw	B	11.5 ft	-
40	Portage Lake South Basin; Dexter Township	Washtenaw	B	13 ft	-
41	Crystal Lake	Montcalm	B	10 ft	-
42	Long Lake South Central Basin	Cass	B	10.5 ft	-
43	Beaver Lake	Keweenaw	B	8 ft	-
44	Farewell Lake	Jackson	B	11.5 ft	-
45	Rose Lake	Osceola	B	10.8 ft	-
46	Murray Lake East Basin; Grattan Township	Kent	B	7.2 ft	-
47	Crystal Lake	Gogebic	B	10 ft	-
48	Crystal Lake	Hillsdale	B	9.5 ft	-
49	Long Lake	Gogebic	B	11.5 ft	-
50	Eagle Lake	Allegan	B	14 ft	-

Showing top 50 of 109 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michigan lakes have johnny darter?

Johnny darter are found in 109 lakes in Michigan. The average water quality grade of these lakes is B (Good).

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, Sanford Lake, Windover Lake, Whitefish Lake Southeast Basin; Pierson Township, Whitefish Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.