Mimic Shiner Lakes in Michigan, 63 Lakes

Rough fish like Mimic Shiner are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 63 Michigan lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. 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 phosphorus and chlorophyll-a readings 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 each lake's clarity, phosphorus and algae readings: lakes with low nutrient readings and Mimic Shiner documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Michigan Lakes

Counties

Mimic Shiner Lakes Map

Every Michigan lake with documented mimic shiner.

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Best Mimic Shiner Lakes in Michigan

Rank	Lake	County	Clarity	Depth
1	Ore Lake	Livingston	9 ft	81 ft
2	Big Blue Lake	Kalkaska	24 ft	-
3	Murray Lake	Kent	9 ft	-
4	Big Star Lake	Lake	9 ft	-
5	Whitefish Lake	Montcalm	13.5 ft	-
6	Otter Lake	Benzie	12 ft	-
7	Upper Woodcock Lake	Benzie	11 ft	45 ft
8	Lower Woodcock Lake	Benzie	12.3 ft	-
9	Crooked Lake	Emmet	-	50 ft
10	Cranberry Lake	Oakland	8.5 ft	25 ft
11	Tamarack Lake	Livingston	7 ft	34 ft
12	Lake Richie	Keweenaw	9.2 ft	-
13	Bass Lake	Leelanau	11.2 ft	-
14	Walloon Lake	Emmet	-	-
15	Upper Hamlin Lake	Mason	6 ft	-
16	Lower Hamlin Lake	Mason	11.5 ft	-
17	Lower Herring Lake	Benzie	13 ft	50 ft
18	Crooked Lake	Barry	12 ft	-
19	Lake Ann	Benzie	14.5 ft	75 ft
20	Long Lake	Gogebic	12 ft	60 ft
21	Shavehead Lake	Cass	8 ft	70 ft
22	Fishers Lake	St. Joseph	10.5 ft	42 ft
23	East Twin Lake	Montmorency	8 ft	25 ft
24	Cranberry Lake	Oakland	8.5 ft	25 ft
25	Shavehead Lake	Cass	8.5 ft	70 ft
26	Brevoort Lake	Mackinac	10.5 ft	-
27	Wall Lake	Barry	10 ft	36 ft
28	Cedar Lake	Alcona	9 ft	10 ft
29	Bear Lake	Manistee	11 ft	6 ft
30	Farewell Lake	Jackson	13.8 ft	43 ft
31	Lake Margrethe	Crawford	16 ft	65 ft
32	Evans Lake	Lenawee	14 ft	42 ft
33	Cedar Lake	Iosco	12 ft	-
34	Upper Herring Lake	Benzie	8 ft	25 ft
35	Bass Lake	Montcalm	10.8 ft	28 ft
36	Viking Lake	Otsego	6.8 ft	25 ft
37	Scram Lake	Kent	12.5 ft	85 ft
38	Otter Lake	Oakland	10.3 ft	70 ft
39	Cedar Lake	Oakland	11 ft	-
40	Crooked Lake	Oakland	11.5 ft	60 ft
41	Bloomfield Lake	Oakland	3.5 ft	-
42	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	24.3 ft	88 ft
43	Long Lake	Benzie	9 ft	-
44	Bass Lake	Lake	14.8 ft	45 ft
45	Baldwin Lake	Cass	9 ft	-
46	Long Lake	Cass	10.5 ft	42 ft
47	Diamond Lake	Newaygo	12.3 ft	25 ft
48	Baldwins Lake	Cass	8 ft	55 ft
49	Green Lake	Grand Traverse	12.8 ft	102 ft
50	Union Lake	Branch	3.5 ft	-

Showing top 50 of 63 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michigan lakes have mimic shiner?

Mimic Shiner are found in 63 lakes in Michigan.

What are the best mimic shiner lakes in Michigan?

The best mimic shiner lakes in Michigan by water quality are Ore Lake, Big Blue Lake, Murray Lake, Big Star Lake, Whitefish Lake.

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