Lake whitefish Lakes in Minnesota, Wisconsin & Michigan

Other SpeciesFound in 22 lakes

Rough fish like Lake whitefish are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 22 Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Lake whitefish is narrowly distributed — only 22 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 whitefish lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Lake whitefish documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

Michigan lakes →

Avg. Grade

94 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Lake whitefish Lakes

38%

22%

17%

22%

Best Lake whitefish Lakes by Water Quality

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

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	100 ft	21
2	Pike Lake	Cook	MN	A	45 ft	7
3	Island Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	76 ft	19
4	Hatch Lake	Itasca	MN	A	88 ft	15
5	Big Trout Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	128 ft	20
6	Rush Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	105 ft	21
7	Hanson Lake	Lake	MN	A	100 ft	6
8	Pine Lake	Cook	MN	A	113 ft	10
9	Pig Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	56 ft	20
10	Ten Mile Lake	Cass	MN	A	208 ft	17
11	Burntside Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	126 ft	15
12	Clamshell Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	44 ft	18
13	Bertha Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	64 ft	22
14	Ester Lake	Lake	MN	A	110 ft	8
15	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	100 ft	21
16	Greenwood Lake	Cook	MN	A	112 ft	10
17	Kabekona Bay Lake	Cass	MN	A	150 ft	18
18	Hen Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	105 ft	21
19	Cass Lake Allens Bay	Beltrami	MN	A	120 ft	21
20	Cass Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	120 ft	21
21	Chicagon Lake	Iron	MI	A	-	2
22	Higgins Lake	Roscommon	MI	A	-	3
23	Crystal Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	9
24	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	MI	A	-	40
25	Chicagon Lake Central Basin; Stambaugh Township	Iron	MI	A	-	1
26	Long Lake	Cheboygan	MI	A	-	40
27	Lake Charlevoix	Charlevoix	MI	A	-	3
28	Hubbard Lake Central Basin	Alcona	MI	A	-	2
29	Hubbard Lake	Alcona	MI	A	-	2
30	Elk Lake	Antrim	MI	A	-	27
31	Lake Charlevoix	Charlevoix	MI	A	-	3
32	Steamboat Lake	Cass	MN	A	93 ft	15
33	Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	138 ft	23
34	Deer Lake	Itasca	MN	A	121 ft	17
35	Benedict Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	91 ft	16
36	Sturgeon Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	79.8 ft	15
37	Sea Gull Lake	Cook	MN	A	40 ft	12
38	Kabekona Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	133 ft	20
39	Cass Lake Pike Bay	Cass	MN	A	95 ft	20
40	Siskiwit Lake	Keweenaw	MI	A	-	2
41	Steamboat Bay Lake	Cass	MN	B	150 ft	18
42	Red Rock Lake	Cook	MN	B	64 ft	8
43	Devil Track Lake	Cook	MN	B	50 ft	9
44	Sucker Lake	Lake	MN	B	111 ft	14
45	Tom Lake	Cook	MN	B	35 ft	5
46	Turtle River Lake	Beltrami	MN	B	63 ft	20
47	Newfound Lake	Lake	MN	B	45 ft	12
48	Ogishkemuncie Lake	Lake	MN	B	75 ft	5
49	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	MN	B	150 ft	18
50	Good Lake	Lake	MN	B	51 ft	11

Showing top 50 of 105 lakes with lake whitefish.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have lake whitefish?

Lake whitefish are found in 22 graded lakes: 22 in Michigan. The average water quality grade of lakes with lake whitefish is B (Good).

What are the best lakes for lake whitefish?

The best lake whitefish lakes by water quality are Lower Hay Lake, Pike Lake, Island Lake, Hatch Lake, Big Trout Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where lake whitefish have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with lake whitefish?

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

Other Fish Species in Lake whitefish Lakes

White sucker Lakes

Found together in 83 lakes · 121 total

Northern pike Lakes

Found together in 80 lakes · 99 total

Walleye Lakes

Found together in 79 lakes · 840 total

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 77 lakes · 113 total

Rock bass Lakes

Found together in 72 lakes · 117 total

Black Crappie Lakes

Found together in 65 lakes · 41 total

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.