Musky Lakes in Wisconsin

Found in 429 Wisconsin lakes

Musky is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 429 lakes carry documentation. Musky is moderately distributed — present in 0 Minnesota lakes and 429 Wisconsin lakes. Some counties have it, others do not, so checking the per-lake pages matters.

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 Musky lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Musky documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

429

Wisconsin Lakes

Avg. Grade

289

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Musky Lakes in Wisconsin

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Lac Courte Oreilles Lake	Sawyer	A	38.7 ft	90 ft
2	Sunset Lake	Vilas	A	56.5 ft	30 ft
3	Grindstone Lake	Sawyer	A	57.7 ft	60 ft
4	Middle Sugarbush Lake	Vilas	A	50 ft	57 ft
5	Irving Lake	Vilas	A	36.1 ft	-
6	Towanda Lake	Vilas	A	34.5 ft	27 ft
7	West Bay Lake	Vilas	A	27.9 ft	57 ft
8	West Bay Lake	Vilas	A	42.7 ft	31 ft
9	Long Lake	Waupaca	A	44.3 ft	76 ft
10	Long Lake	Lincoln	A	47.7 ft	64 ft
11	Long Lake	Chippewa	A	32.8 ft	101 ft
12	Long Lake	Oneida	A	41 ft	58 ft
13	Long Lake	Iron	A	18 ft	34 ft
14	Chain Lake	Chippewa	A	16.4 ft	74 ft
15	Upper Eau Claire Lake	Bayfield	A	61.5 ft	92 ft
16	Spring Lake	Vilas	A	27.9 ft	16 ft
17	Spider Lake	Vilas	A	36.9 ft	43 ft
18	Spider Lake	Sawyer	A	32.8 ft	64 ft
19	Silver Lake	Kenosha	A	25.5 ft	44 ft
20	Silver Lake	Vilas	A	39.9 ft	-
21	Silver Lake	Forest	A	42.7 ft	-
22	Dead Pike Lake	Vilas	A	24.6 ft	80 ft
23	Stella Lake	Oneida	A	26.2 ft	22 ft
24	Birch Lake	Vilas	A	21.3 ft	45 ft
25	Birch Lake	Oneida	A	29.2 ft	27 ft
26	Round Lake	Sawyer	A	68.2 ft	74 ft
27	Round Lake	Waupaca	A	49.2 ft	67 ft
28	Round Lake	Shawano	A	29.5 ft	39 ft
29	Round Lake	Chippewa	A	18.5 ft	18 ft
30	Bass Lake	Lincoln	A	41 ft	40 ft
31	Bass Lake	Washburn	A	50.9 ft	35 ft
32	Bass Lake	Price	A	28.9 ft	46 ft
33	Pewaukee Lake	Waukesha	A	18.9 ft	45 ft
34	Bear Lake	Oconto	A	32.8 ft	20 ft
35	Bear Lake	Douglas	A	16.4 ft	10 ft
36	Big Lake	Vilas	A	-	30 ft
37	Lily Lake	Forest	A	36.1 ft	24 ft
38	Pine Lake	Iron	A	19.7 ft	41 ft
39	Pine Lake	Shawano	A	32.8 ft	35 ft
40	Murphy Lake	Vilas	A	24 ft	52 ft
41	Anderson Lake	Oconto	A	32.8 ft	40 ft
42	Planting Ground Lake	Oneida	A	17.2 ft	37 ft
43	Little Sissabagama Lake	Sawyer	A	39.4 ft	75 ft
44	Upper Kaubashine Lake	Oneida	A	59.1 ft	56 ft
45	Cedar Lake	Iron	A	24.8 ft	21 ft
46	Sand Lake	Rusk	A	43.5 ft	100 ft
47	Little Crawling Stone Lake	Vilas	A	49.2 ft	44 ft
48	White Birch Lake	Vilas	A	52.5 ft	27 ft
49	Island Lake	Rusk	A	23.8 ft	54 ft
50	Island Lake	Vilas	A	30.8 ft	35 ft

Showing top 50 of 429 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Wisconsin lakes have musky?

Musky are found in 429 lakes in Wisconsin. The average water quality grade of these lakes is B (Good).

What are the best musky lakes in Wisconsin?

The best musky lakes in Wisconsin by water quality are Lac Courte Oreilles Lake, Sunset Lake, Grindstone Lake, Middle Sugarbush Lake, Irving Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.