Mimic Shiner Fishing Guide, 63 Best-Graded Lakes

Mimic Shiner is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 63 lakes carry documentation. Mimic Shiner is narrowly distributed — only 63 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 Mimic Shiner lake list below against the letter grades: lakes with both an A or B grade and Mimic Shiner documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

Michigan lakes →

Avg. Grade

50 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Mimic Shiner Lakes

14%

Best Mimic Shiner Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with mimic shiner ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Ore Lake	Livingston	MI	A	81 ft	14
2	Big Blue Lake	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	17
3	Murray Lake	Kent	MI	A	-	29
4	Big Star Lake	Lake	MI	A	-	18
5	Whitefish Lake	Montcalm	MI	A	-	21
6	Otter Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	30
7	Upper Woodcock Lake	Benzie	MI	A	45 ft	9
8	Lower Woodcock Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	9
9	Crooked Lake	Emmet	MI	A	50 ft	26
10	Cranberry Lake	Oakland	MI	B	25 ft	14
11	Tamarack Lake	Livingston	MI	B	34 ft	20
12	Lake Richie	Keweenaw	MI	B	-	11
13	Bass Lake	Leelanau	MI	B	-	13
14	Walloon Lake	Emmet	MI	B	-	20
15	Upper Hamlin Lake	Mason	MI	C	-	6
16	Lower Hamlin Lake	Mason	MI	C	-	11
17	Lower Herring Lake	Benzie	MI	NR	50 ft	25
18	Crooked Lake	Barry	MI	NR	-	27
19	Lake Ann	Benzie	MI	NR	75 ft	10
20	Long Lake	Gogebic	MI	NR	60 ft	40
21	Shavehead Lake	Cass	MI	NR	70 ft	25
22	Fishers Lake	St. Joseph	MI	NR	42 ft	8
23	East Twin Lake	Montmorency	MI	NR	25 ft	7
24	Cranberry Lake	Oakland	MI	NR	25 ft	14
25	Shavehead Lake	Cass	MI	NR	70 ft	26
26	Brevoort Lake	Mackinac	MI	NR	-	15
27	Wall Lake	Barry	MI	NR	36 ft	18
28	Cedar Lake	Alcona	MI	NR	10 ft	22
29	Bear Lake	Manistee	MI	NR	6 ft	14
30	Farewell Lake	Jackson	MI	NR	43 ft	18
31	Lake Margrethe	Crawford	MI	NR	65 ft	21
32	Evans Lake	Lenawee	MI	NR	42 ft	19
33	Cedar Lake	Iosco	MI	NR	-	20
34	Upper Herring Lake	Benzie	MI	NR	25 ft	18
35	Bass Lake	Montcalm	MI	NR	28 ft	13
36	Viking Lake	Otsego	MI	NR	25 ft	18
37	Scram Lake	Kent	MI	NR	85 ft	14
38	Otter Lake	Oakland	MI	NR	70 ft	30
39	Cedar Lake	Oakland	MI	NR	-	22
40	Crooked Lake	Oakland	MI	NR	60 ft	27
41	Bloomfield Lake	Oakland	MI	NR	-	17
42	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	MI	NR	88 ft	40
43	Long Lake	Benzie	MI	NR	-	40
44	Bass Lake	Lake	MI	NR	45 ft	7
45	Baldwin Lake	Cass	MI	NR	-	25
46	Long Lake	Cass	MI	NR	42 ft	25
47	Diamond Lake	Newaygo	MI	NR	25 ft	25
48	Baldwins Lake	Cass	MI	NR	55 ft	33
49	Green Lake	Grand Traverse	MI	NR	102 ft	11
50	Union Lake	Branch	MI	NR	-	22

Showing top 50 of 63 lakes with mimic shiner.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have mimic shiner?

Mimic Shiner are found in 63 graded lakes: 63 in Michigan. The average water quality grade of lakes with mimic shiner is B (Good).

What are the best lakes for mimic shiner?

The best mimic shiner lakes by water quality are Ore Lake, Big Blue Lake, Murray Lake, Big Star Lake, Whitefish Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where mimic shiner have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with mimic shiner?

Mimic Shiner are most commonly found alongside mimic shiner, yellow perch, bluntnose minnow, bluegill, iowa darter. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Mimic Shiner Lakes

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 56 lakes · 1,577 total

Bluntnose Minnow Lakes

Found together in 53 lakes · 160 total

Bluegill Lakes

Found together in 45 lakes · 1,550 total

Iowa Darter Lakes

Found together in 42 lakes · 126 total

Sand Shiner Lakes

Found together in 42 lakes · 66 total

Rock Bass Lakes

Found together in 42 lakes · 786 total

Fish species from state agency survey, stocking, and public fishing-access records; water-quality grades from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys. Species profiles are general reference; always check current state regulations before fishing.