Northern Pike Lakes in Wisconsin

Found in 945 Wisconsin lakes

Northern Pike is a primary Wisconsin sport-fishing target. 945 lakes have an official record of the species — the actual population almost certainly extends further, since not every lake gets a full DNR fishery survey every year. With 0 Minnesota lakes and 945 in Wisconsin documenting Northern Pike, the species is one of the more accessible targets in the dataset.

Game-fish presence on a Wisconsin lake also signals enough water-quality stability to support the prey species the game fish depend on — perch, alewife, ciscoes — which themselves require reasonably oxygenated, clear water. On the LakeGrade rubric, the cleanest Northern Pike lakes tend to also be the highest-graded — the same water-clarity and nutrient conditions that support the species also produce the higher grades.

945

Wisconsin Lakes

Avg. Grade

644

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Northern Pike Lakes in Wisconsin

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Geneva Lake	Walworth	A	19 ft	135 ft
2	Lac Courte Oreilles Lake	Sawyer	A	38.7 ft	90 ft
3	Sunset Lake	Vilas	A	56.5 ft	30 ft
4	Grindstone Lake	Sawyer	A	57.7 ft	60 ft
5	Middle Sugarbush Lake	Vilas	A	50 ft	57 ft
6	Windigo Lake	Sawyer	A	36.1 ft	51 ft
7	Towanda Lake	Vilas	A	34.5 ft	27 ft
8	Parker Lake	Adams	A	55.8 ft	36 ft
9	West Bay Lake	Vilas	A	27.9 ft	57 ft
10	West Bay Lake	Vilas	A	19.7 ft	23 ft
11	West Bay Lake	Vilas	A	42.7 ft	31 ft
12	Long Lake	Waushara	A	45.9 ft	71 ft
13	Long Lake	Waupaca	A	44.3 ft	76 ft
14	Long Lake	Burnett	A	68.9 ft	41 ft
15	Long Lake	Lincoln	A	47.7 ft	64 ft
16	Long Lake	Chippewa	A	32.8 ft	101 ft
17	Long Lake	Fond du Lac	A	32.8 ft	47 ft
18	Long Lake	Bayfield	A	52.5 ft	28 ft
19	Long Lake	Waushara	A	19.7 ft	14 ft
20	Long Lake	Iron	A	18 ft	34 ft
21	Chain Lake	Chippewa	A	16.4 ft	74 ft
22	Chain Lake	Oconto	A	44.3 ft	42 ft
23	Upper Eau Claire Lake	Bayfield	A	61.5 ft	92 ft
24	Spring Lake	Waushara	A	32.6 ft	37 ft
25	Spring Lake	Vilas	A	27.9 ft	16 ft
26	Spring Lake	Manitowoc	A	26.2 ft	23 ft
27	Spring Lake	Waukesha	A	-	22 ft
28	Spring Lake	Washburn	A	-	24 ft
29	Spider Lake	Vilas	A	36.9 ft	43 ft
30	Spider Lake	Bayfield	A	18 ft	15 ft
31	Silver Lake	Waupaca	A	23 ft	17 ft
32	Silver Lake	Waukesha	A	36.9 ft	40 ft
33	Silver Lake	Waushara	A	33.6 ft	56 ft
34	Silver Lake	Kenosha	A	25.5 ft	44 ft
35	Silver Lake	Barron	A	42.7 ft	91 ft
36	Silver Lake	Washburn	A	39.4 ft	28 ft
37	Silver Lake	Waushara	A	49.2 ft	50 ft
38	Silver Lake	Vilas	A	39.9 ft	-
39	Silver Lake	Forest	A	42.7 ft	-
40	Pleasant Lake	Waushara	A	39.4 ft	24 ft
41	Pleasant Lake	Walworth	A	44.3 ft	29 ft
42	Lac la Belle Lake	Waukesha	A	16.4 ft	45 ft
43	Dead Pike Lake	Vilas	A	24.6 ft	80 ft
44	Stella Lake	Oneida	A	26.2 ft	22 ft
45	Spencer Lake	Waupaca	A	27.9 ft	53 ft
46	Birch Lake	Vilas	A	21.3 ft	45 ft
47	Birch Lake	Oneida	A	29.2 ft	27 ft
48	Leader Lake	Douglas	A	50.9 ft	56 ft
49	Goose Lake	Adams	A	26.2 ft	18 ft
50	Wind Lake	Polk	A	32.8 ft	-

Showing top 50 of 945 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Wisconsin lakes have northern pike?

Northern Pike are found in 945 lakes in Wisconsin. The average water quality grade of these lakes is B (Good).

What are the best northern pike lakes in Wisconsin?

The best northern pike lakes in Wisconsin by water quality are Geneva Lake, Lac Courte Oreilles Lake, Sunset Lake, Grindstone Lake, Middle Sugarbush Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.