Musky Fishing Guide: 385 Lakes by Water Quality

Rough fish like Musky are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 385 the United States (49 states), Canada (Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador), and 38 other country hubs. LakeQuality covers lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Musky is moderately distributed — 385 lakes in Wisconsin. Some counties have it, others do not, so checking the per-lake pages matters.

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 Musky lake list below against each lake's clarity, phosphorus and algae readings: lakes with low nutrient readings and Musky documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Musky Seasonal Forecast & Techniques

Part of the LakeQuality Fishing Forecast. Spawn trigger: Spawns over shallow vegetation at 55–63°F in late spring; needs cool, clean, forage-rich water. Forage: Large forage — suckers, ciscoes, panfish. For a forecast tuned to a specific lake's measured clarity and depth, open that lake's forecast.

Season	Where they hold	Structure & cover	Technique
Spring	shallow 3–10 ft	warming weed flats, bays	bucktails, smaller glide baits
Summer	weed & rock 6–20 ft	big weed flats, rock bars, open-water basins	bucktails, topwater, crankbaits
Fall	variable 8–35 ft	deep structure, cisco lakes, big-bait zones	large soft baits & suckers — prime trophy window
Winter / Ice	n/a	season typically closed	catch-and-release ethic; check regulations

Clear-water tactics:bucktails & glide baitsnatural colorsfigure-8 boatsideStained-water tactics:rubber/rattling baitsbright, big-profile, high-vibration

Muskie fisheries depend on careful catch-and-release; use proper release tools and check size limits.

385

Total Lakes

385

Wisconsin lakes →

36 ft

Avg. Depth

Best Musky Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with musky, ranked on nutrient and algae readings.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Depth	Species
1	Lac Courte Oreilles Lake	Sawyer	WI	90 ft	6
2	Whitefish Lake	Sawyer	WI	105 ft	7
3	Round Lake	Sawyer	WI	74 ft	6
4	Sand Lake	Sawyer	WI	50 ft	6
5	Ashegon Lake	Sawyer	WI	56 ft	6
6	Little Round Lake	Sawyer	WI	38 ft	6
7	Osprey Lake	Sawyer	WI	32 ft	6
8	Grindstone Lake	Sawyer	WI	60 ft	6
9	Lake St Croix	St. Croix	WI	60 ft	7
10	Boulder Lake	Vilas	WI	23 ft	6
11	Spider Lake	Sawyer	WI	64 ft	5
12	Spider Lake	Vilas	WI	43 ft	6
13	Pickerel Lake	Vilas	WI	26 ft	5
14	Cranberry Lake	Bayfield	WI	12 ft	5
15	North Turtle Lake	Vilas	WI	58 ft	6
16	Silver Lake	Kenosha	WI	44 ft	7
17	Silver Lake	Vilas	WI	19 ft	5
18	Silver Lake	Forest	WI	20 ft	6
19	Plum Lake	Vilas	WI	57 ft	6
20	Whitefish Lake	Oneida	WI	33 ft	6
21	Round Lake	Shawano	WI	39 ft	5
22	Round Lake	Chippewa	WI	18 ft	5
23	Round Lake	Oneida	WI	15 ft	6
24	Cedar Lake	Iron	WI	21 ft	6
25	Deep Lake	Washburn	WI	25 ft	4
26	Beasley Lake	Waupaca	WI	47 ft	6
27	Bass Lake	Oneida	WI	20 ft	6
28	Bass Lake	Price	WI	46 ft	5
29	Bass Lake	Vilas	WI	15 ft	5
30	Bass Lake	Lincoln	WI	40 ft	4
31	Callahan Lake	Sawyer	WI	18 ft	4
32	Clear Lake	Sawyer	WI	32 ft	4
33	Clear Lake	Rusk	WI	74 ft	6
34	Clear Lake	Oneida	WI	95 ft	6
35	Pioneer Lake	Vilas	WI	27 ft	5
36	Rice Lake	Iron	WI	21 ft	6
37	Little Spider Lake	Vilas	WI	23 ft	5
38	Bone Lake	Polk	WI	43 ft	4
39	Marl Lake	Waupaca	WI	59 ft	5
40	Indian Lake	Oneida	WI	26 ft	6
41	Tom Doyle Lake	Oneida	WI	30 ft	6
42	Oxbow Lake	Vilas	WI	44 ft	6
43	Bear Lake	Oconto	WI	20 ft	4
44	Long Lake	Waupaca	WI	76 ft	7
45	Long Lake	Chippewa	WI	101 ft	6
46	Long Lake	Lincoln	WI	64 ft	4
47	Towanda Lake	Vilas	WI	27 ft	5
48	Wilke Lake	Manitowoc	WI	21 ft	5
49	Birch Lake	Vilas	WI	45 ft	6
50	Rush Lake	Vilas	WI	7 ft	6

Showing top 50 of 385 lakes with musky.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have musky?

Musky are documented in 385 lakes: 385 in Wisconsin.

What are the best lakes for musky?

The best musky lakes by water quality are Lac Courte Oreilles Lake, Whitefish Lake, Round Lake, Sand Lake, Ashegon Lake. These lakes carry the lowest nutrient and algae readings among all lakes where musky have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with musky?

Musky are most commonly found alongside panfish, largemouth bass, walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Musky Lakes

Panfish Lakes

Found together in 381 lakes · 1,090 total

Largemouth Bass Lakes

Found together in 373 lakes · 2,489 total

Walleye Lakes

Found together in 355 lakes · 1,884 total

Northern Pike Lakes

Found together in 327 lakes · 2,386 total

Smallmouth Bass Lakes

Found together in 237 lakes · 871 total

Sturgeon Lakes

Found together in 24 lakes · 29 total

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