Lake trout Lakes in Minnesota, Wisconsin & Michigan

Other SpeciesFound in 3 lakes

Lake trout is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 3 lakes carry documentation. Lake trout is narrowly distributed — only 3 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 trout lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Lake trout documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

Michigan lakes →

Avg. Grade

131 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Lake trout Lakes

60%

19%

15%

Best Lake trout Lakes by Water Quality

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

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Birch Lake	Cook	MN	A	69 ft	3
2	Trout Lake	Itasca	MN	A	157 ft	9
3	Trout Lake	Cook	MN	A	77 ft	6
4	Mukooda Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	78 ft	14
5	Caribou Lake	Itasca	MN	A	152 ft	7
6	Big Trout Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	128 ft	20
7	Hanson Lake	Lake	MN	A	100 ft	6
8	Bluewater Lake	Itasca	MN	A	120 ft	15
9	Pine Lake	Cook	MN	A	113 ft	10
10	Duncan Lake	Cook	MN	A	130 ft	5
11	Burntside Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	126 ft	15
12	Mayhew Lake	Cook	MN	A	84 ft	8
13	Loon Lake	Cook	MN	A	202 ft	10
14	Gunflint Lake	Cook	MN	A	200 ft	12
15	Kemo Lake	Cook	MN	A	65 ft	3
16	Flour Lake	Cook	MN	A	75 ft	9
17	Ester Lake	Lake	MN	A	110 ft	8
18	Bearskin Lake	Cook	MN	A	78 ft	9
19	Topaz Lake	Lake	MN	A	110 ft	4
20	Peter Lake	Cook	MN	A	120 ft	4
21	Snowbank Lake	Lake	MN	A	150 ft	11
22	Amoeber Lake	Lake	MN	A	110 ft	4
23	Greenwood Lake	Cook	MN	A	112 ft	10
24	Little Gunflint Lake	Cook	MN	A	200 ft	12
25	South Lake	Cook	MN	A	140 ft	6
26	Mountain Lake	Unknown	MN	A	130 ft	7
27	Iron Chief Complex Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	262.1 ft	3
28	West Pike Lake	Cook	MN	A	120 ft	5
29	Sagamore Mine Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	210 ft	11
30	Elk Lake	Antrim	MI	A	-	27
31	Little Trout Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	95 ft	8
32	East Bearskin Lake	Cook	MN	B	66 ft	12
33	Rose Lake	Cook	MN	B	130 ft	5
34	Ogishkemuncie Lake	Lake	MN	B	75 ft	5
35	Strup Lake	Lake	MN	B	195 ft	5
36	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	MN	B	150 ft	18
37	Mesaba Lake	Cook	MN	B	65 ft	4
38	Tarry Lake	Cook	MN	B	66 ft	3
39	Rivalry Lake	Lake	MN	B	100 ft	7
40	Gilbert Pit Lake	St. Louis	MN	B	443 ft	10
41	Elk Lake	Antrim	MI	B	-	27
42	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	MN	C	150 ft	18
43	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	MN	C	150 ft	18
44	Little Saganaga Lake	Cook	MN	C	150 ft	5
45	Lac la Croix Lake	St. Louis	MN	C	168 ft	12
46	Watap Lake	Cook	MN	C	210 ft	1
47	Rove Lake	Cook	MN	C	130 ft	7
48	Long Island Lake	Cook	MN	C	85 ft	6
49	Lake Bellaire	Antrim	MI	C	-	22
50	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	MN	D	150 ft	18

Showing top 50 of 52 lakes with lake trout.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have lake trout?

Lake trout are found in 3 graded lakes: 3 in Michigan. The average water quality grade of lakes with lake trout is B (Good).

What are the best lakes for lake trout?

The best lake trout lakes by water quality are Birch Lake, Trout Lake, Trout Lake, Mukooda Lake, Caribou Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where lake trout have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with lake trout?

Lake trout are most commonly found alongside lake trout, white sucker, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, northern pike. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Lake trout Lakes

White sucker Lakes

Found together in 40 lakes · 121 total

Smallmouth bass Lakes

Found together in 36 lakes · 117 total

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 32 lakes · 113 total

Northern pike Lakes

Found together in 29 lakes · 99 total

Burbot Lakes

Found together in 25 lakes · 13 total

Walleye Lakes

Found together in 22 lakes · 840 total

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.