Northern pike Lakes in Minnesota, Wisconsin & Michigan

Other SpeciesFound in 99 lakes

Rough fish like Northern pike are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 99 Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Northern pike is narrowly distributed — only 99 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 Northern pike lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Northern pike documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

Michigan lakes →

Avg. Grade

41 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Northern pike Lakes

788

30%

678

26%

551

21%

388

15%

211

Best Northern pike Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with northern pike ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	East Fox Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	65 ft	15
2	North Long Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	97 ft	18
3	Bad Medicine Lake	Becker	MN	A	84 ft	13
4	Big Sugar Bush Lake	Becker	MN	A	42 ft	13
5	Round Lake	Cook	MN	A	45 ft	5
6	Horseshoe Lake	Cass	MN	A	51 ft	12
7	Long Lake	Cass	MN	A	115 ft	14
8	Long Lake	Clearwater	MN	A	80 ft	15
9	Long Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	87 ft	11
10	Long Lake	Becker	MN	A	61 ft	16
11	Long Lake	Cass	MN	A	37 ft	12
12	Long Lake	Itasca	MN	A	72 ft	10
13	Long Lake	Itasca	MN	A	85 ft	12
14	Dead Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	34 ft	9
15	Otter Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	64 ft	7
16	Ossawinnamakee Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	63 ft	18
17	Clear Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	63 ft	15
18	Clear Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	24 ft	14
19	Clear Lake	Itasca	MN	A	30 ft	9
20	Eagle Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	46 ft	10
21	West Fox Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	55 ft	15
22	Spearhead Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	81 ft	17
23	Ida Lake	Douglas	MN	A	106 ft	19
24	Star Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	83 ft	12
25	Star Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	94 ft	17
26	Upper Maple Lake	Wright	MN	A	76 ft	15
27	Fish Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	69 ft	17
28	Birch Lake	Wright	MN	A	52 ft	9
29	Birch Lake	Unknown	MN	A	34 ft	10
30	Girl Lake	Cass	MN	A	81 ft	18
31	Little Toad Lake	Becker	MN	A	65 ft	15
32	Charlotte Lake	Wright	MN	A	46 ft	10
33	Bass Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	47 ft	14
34	Bass Lake	Itasca	MN	A	65 ft	7
35	Bass Lake	Cass	MN	A	55 ft	12
36	Crooked Lake	Stearns	MN	A	35 ft	10
37	Crooked Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	54 ft	16
38	Cedar Lake	Morrison	MN	A	88 ft	14
39	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	55 ft	20
40	Square Lake	Washington	MN	A	68 ft	9
41	Lower Bottle Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	110 ft	13
42	Big Pine Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	78 ft	15
43	Strawberry Lake	Becker	MN	A	40 ft	16
44	Alexander Lake	Morrison	MN	A	64 ft	19
45	Mcavity Lake	Itasca	MN	A	29 ft	9
46	Gull Lake	Cass	MN	A	80 ft	22
47	Deep Portage Lake	Cass	MN	A	105 ft	9
48	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	100 ft	21
49	Latoka Lake	Douglas	MN	A	108 ft	16
50	Pike Lake	Cook	MN	A	45 ft	7

Showing top 50 of 2,616 lakes with northern pike.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have northern pike?

Northern pike are found in 99 graded lakes: 99 in Michigan. The average water quality grade of lakes with northern pike is B (Good).

What are the best lakes for northern pike?

The best northern pike lakes by water quality are East Fox Lake, North Long Lake, Bad Medicine Lake, Big Sugar Bush Lake, Round Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where northern pike have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with northern pike?

Northern pike are most commonly found alongside northern pike, yellow perch, bluegill, black crappie, largemouth bass. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Northern pike Lakes

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 1,388 lakes · 113 total

Bluegill Lakes

Found together in 1,359 lakes · 240 total

Black Crappie Lakes

Found together in 1,318 lakes · 41 total

Largemouth bass Lakes

Found together in 1,260 lakes · 172 total

Walleye Lakes

Found together in 1,210 lakes · 840 total

Pumpkinseed Lakes

Found together in 1,207 lakes · 145 total

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.