Lake sturgeon Lakes in Minnesota, Wisconsin & Michigan

Other SpeciesFound in 6 lakes

Lake sturgeon is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 6 lakes carry documentation. Lake sturgeon is narrowly distributed — only 6 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 grade on: a rough-fish-heavy fishery often reflects an underlying nutrient-loading problem in the watershed. Cross-reference the Lake sturgeon lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Lake sturgeon documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

Michigan lakes →

Avg. Grade

81 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Lake sturgeon Lakes

18%

27%

14%

34%

Best Lake sturgeon Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with lake sturgeon ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	White Earth Lake	Becker	MN	A	120 ft	17
2	Burt Lake	Cheboygan	MI	A	-	33
3	Black Lake	Cheboygan	MI	A	-	2
4	Round Lake	Becker	MN	A	69 ft	18
5	Detroit Lake	Becker	MN	A	89 ft	19
6	Otter Tail Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	120 ft	17
7	Many Point Lake	Becker	MN	A	92 ft	16
8	Otter Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	30
9	Deer Lake	Otter Tail	MN	B	26 ft	16
10	East Lost Lake	Otter Tail	MN	B	26 ft	16
11	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	MN	B	150 ft	18
12	Wright Lake	Otter Tail	MN	B	32 ft	14
13	Hoot Lake	Otter Tail	MN	B	20 ft	16
14	Otter Lake	Oakland	MI	B	-	30
15	Otter Lake	Benzie	MI	B	-	30
16	Mullett Lake	Cheboygan	MI	B	-	23
17	Lake St. Croix	Washington	MN	B	78 ft	36
18	Little Pine Lake	Otter Tail	MN	B	63 ft	20
19	Big Pine Lake	Otter Tail	MN	B	76 ft	20
20	Rush Lake	Otter Tail	MN	B	68 ft	19
21	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	MN	C	150 ft	18
22	Sand Point Lake	St. Louis	MN	C	184 ft	21
23	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	MN	C	150 ft	18
24	St. Croix Lake	Washington	MN	C	78 ft	36
25	Pool of Lake St. Croix	Washington	MN	C	78 ft	36
26	Pool on Lake St. Croix	Washington	MN	C	78 ft	36
27	Kabetogama Lake	St. Louis	MN	D	80 ft	16
28	Kabetogama Lake	St. Louis	MN	D	80 ft	16
29	Kabetogama Lake	St. Louis	MN	D	80 ft	16
30	Kabetogama Lake	St. Louis	MN	D	80 ft	16
31	Sand Point Lake	St. Louis	MN	D	184 ft	21
32	Sand Point Lake	St. Louis	MN	D	184 ft	21
33	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	MN	D	150 ft	18
34	Kabetogama Lake	St. Louis	MN	D	80 ft	16
35	Upper Red Lake: West-Central	Beltrami	MN	D	15 ft	15
36	Upper Red Lake: East	Beltrami	MN	D	15 ft	15
37	Upper Red Lake: West	Beltrami	MN	D	15 ft	15
38	Upper Red Lake: East Central	Beltrami	MN	D	15 ft	15
39	Upper Red Lake: Central	Beltrami	MN	D	15 ft	15
40	Becker Lake	Becker	MN	D	120 ft	17
41	Upper Estuary Lake	St. Louis	MN	D	55 ft	33
42	Kabetogama Lake	St. Louis	MN	F	80 ft	16
43	Pokegama Lake	Pine	MN	F	25 ft	23
44	Pepin Lake	Pepin	MN	F	60 ft	47

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have lake sturgeon?

Lake sturgeon are found in 6 graded lakes: 6 in Michigan. The average water quality grade of lakes with lake sturgeon is B (Good).

What are the best lakes for lake sturgeon?

The best lake sturgeon lakes by water quality are White Earth Lake, Burt Lake, Black Lake, Round Lake, Detroit Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where lake sturgeon have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with lake sturgeon?

Lake sturgeon are most commonly found alongside black crappie, bluegill, lake sturgeon, northern pike, walleye. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Lake sturgeon Lakes

Black Crappie Lakes

Found together in 38 lakes · 41 total

Bluegill Lakes

Found together in 38 lakes · 240 total

Northern pike Lakes

Found together in 38 lakes · 99 total

Walleye Lakes

Found together in 38 lakes · 840 total

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 38 lakes · 113 total

White sucker Lakes

Found together in 37 lakes · 121 total

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.