Johnny Darter Lakes in Michigan, 98 Lakes

Rough fish like Johnny Darter are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 98 Michigan lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Johnny Darter is narrowly distributed — only 98 lakes in Michigan have a documented record. The constraint is usually habitat: cold water, specific depth profile, or river connection.

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 Johnny Darter lake list below against each lake's clarity, phosphorus and algae readings: lakes with low nutrient readings and Johnny Darter documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Michigan Lakes

Counties

Johnny Darter Lakes Map

Every Michigan lake with documented johnny darter.

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Best Johnny Darter Lakes in Michigan

Rank	Lake	County	Clarity	Depth
1	Ore Lake	Livingston	9 ft	81 ft
2	Emerald Lake	Kent	11.5 ft	-
3	Murray Lake	Kent	9 ft	-
4	Big Star Lake	Lake	9 ft	-
5	Crystal Lake	Washtenaw	12.5 ft	-
6	Round Lake	Lenawee	12.3 ft	67 ft
7	Whitefish Lake	Montcalm	13.5 ft	-
8	Round Lake	Benzie	15 ft	-
9	Crystal Lake	Hillsdale	9.5 ft	-
10	Otter Lake	Benzie	12 ft	-
11	Little Platte Lake	Benzie	6.5 ft	8 ft
12	Au Sable Lake	Ogemaw	10.5 ft	52 ft
13	Crooked Lake	Emmet	-	50 ft
14	Spring Lake	Emmet	-	-
15	Tamarack Lake	Livingston	7 ft	34 ft
16	Beaver Lake	Keweenaw	8.9 ft	-
17	Beaver Lake	Alger	14.5 ft	39 ft
18	Round Lake	Shiawassee	6 ft	-
19	Sanford Lake	Benzie	17 ft	-
20	Lower Herring Lake	Benzie	13 ft	50 ft
21	Silver Lake	Cheboygan	12.5 ft	-
22	Lake Bellaire	Antrim	12.5 ft	95 ft
23	Crooked Lake	Barry	12 ft	-
24	Clifford Lake	Montcalm	10 ft	-
25	Long Lake	Gogebic	12 ft	60 ft
26	Chippewa Lake	Mecosta	11 ft	40 ft
27	Opal Lake	Otsego	15.5 ft	40 ft
28	Silver Lake	Van Buren	9.5 ft	-
29	Shavehead Lake	Cass	8 ft	70 ft
30	Fishers Lake	St. Joseph	10.5 ft	42 ft
31	East Twin Lake	Montmorency	8 ft	25 ft
32	Shavehead Lake	Cass	8.5 ft	70 ft
33	Brevoort Lake	Mackinac	10.5 ft	-
34	Lake Fenton	Genesee	17.5 ft	90 ft
35	Emerald Lake	Newaygo	13.5 ft	49 ft
36	Sanford Lake	Midland	5 ft	20 ft
37	Muskellunge Lake	Montcalm	11 ft	37 ft
38	Cedar Lake	Alcona	9 ft	10 ft
39	Windover Lake	Clare	15.3 ft	60 ft
40	Big Bradford Lake	Otsego	22 ft	-
41	Farewell Lake	Jackson	13.8 ft	43 ft
42	Barlow Lake	Barry	11 ft	60 ft
43	Lake Margrethe	Crawford	16 ft	65 ft
44	Pickerel Lake	Kalkaska	20 ft	72 ft
45	Silver Lake	Cheboygan	12.5 ft	-
46	Eagle Lake	Allegan	15 ft	-
47	Cedar Lake	Iosco	12 ft	-
48	Resort Lake	Menominee	8.5 ft	41 ft
49	Shingle Lake	Clare	10.5 ft	40 ft
50	Upper Herring Lake	Benzie	8 ft	25 ft

Showing top 50 of 98 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michigan lakes have johnny darter?

Johnny Darter are found in 98 lakes in Michigan.

What are the best johnny darter lakes in Michigan?

The best johnny darter lakes in Michigan by water quality are Ore Lake, Emerald Lake, Murray Lake, Big Star Lake, Crystal Lake.

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