orangespotted sunfish Lakes in Minnesota, Wisconsin & Michigan

Other SpeciesFound in 62 lakes

Rough fish like orangespotted sunfish are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 62 Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. orangespotted sunfish is narrowly distributed — only 62 lakes in Minnesota 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 orangespotted sunfish lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and orangespotted sunfish documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

Minnesota lakes →

Avg. Grade

14 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of orangespotted sunfish Lakes

32%

65%

Best orangespotted sunfish Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with orangespotted sunfish ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Green Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	A	110 ft	22
2	Sarah Lake	Murray	MN	C	10 ft	10
3	Long Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	D	16 ft	16
4	Barrett Lake	Grant	MN	D	28 ft	23
5	Tyson Lake	Yellow Medicine	MN	D	8 ft	8
6	Pomme de Terre Lake	Grant	MN	D	23 ft	22
7	Hendricks Lake	Lincoln	MN	D	9 ft	18
8	Buffalo Lake	Wright	MN	D	33 ft	20
9	Little Spirit Lake	Jackson	MN	D	8 ft	23
10	Lower Elk Lake	Grant	MN	D	13 ft	12
11	Round Lake	Jackson	MN	D	9 ft	17
12	Clear Lake	Martin	MN	D	7 ft	12
13	East Solomon Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	D	14 ft	15
14	Willmar Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	D	14 ft	18
15	Collinwood Lake	Wright	MN	D	28 ft	18
16	Preston Lake	Renville	MN	D	11 ft	13
17	Cottonwood Lake	Cottonwood	MN	D	10 ft	15
18	Big Kandiyohi Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	D	18 ft	16
19	Willie Lake	Meeker	MN	D	17 ft	19
20	Winsted Lake	McLeod	MN	D	12 ft	13
21	West Graham Lake	Nobles	MN	D	8 ft	17
22	Round Grove Lake	McLeod	MN	D	7 ft	7
23	Willmert Lake	Martin	MN	F	8 ft	11
24	Allie Lake	Renville	MN	F	12 ft	13
25	Charlotte Lake	Stevens	MN	F	20 ft	10
26	Mud Lake	Martin	MN	F	19 ft	17
27	Unnamed Lake	Big Stone	MN	F	15 ft	8
28	Emily Lake	Pope	MN	F	6 ft	26
29	Rice Lake	Hennepin	MN	F	11.5 ft	16
30	Laura Lake	Redwood	MN	F	21 ft	13
31	Hall Lake	Martin	MN	F	27 ft	19
32	Fountain Lake	Freeborn	MN	F	14 ft	17
33	Wood Lake	Yellow Medicine	MN	F	9 ft	11
34	Loon Lake	Jackson	MN	F	8 ft	18
35	Johnson Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	F	18 ft	16
36	Buffalo Lake	Murray	MN	F	8.5 ft	7
37	Amber Lake	Martin	MN	F	19 ft	17
38	Cottonwood Lake	Lyon	MN	F	7 ft	10
39	Rice Lake	Hennepin	MN	F	11.5 ft	16
40	Stay Lake	Lincoln	MN	F	6 ft	12
41	East Toqua Lake	Big Stone	MN	F	9 ft	15
42	Lady Slipper Lake	Lyon	MN	F	11 ft	6
43	Split Rock Reservoir	Pipestone	MN	F	16 ft	12
44	School Grove Lake	Lyon	MN	F	11 ft	10
45	Barry Lake	Big Stone	MN	F	8.8 ft	6
46	Okabena Lake	Nobles	MN	F	16 ft	18
47	String Lake	Cottonwood	MN	F	3.8 ft	11
48	Ocheda Lake	Nobles	MN	F	5 ft	10
49	Little Tuttle Lake	Martin	MN	F	7 ft	20
50	Otrey Lake	Big Stone	MN	F	8 ft	4

Showing top 50 of 62 lakes with orangespotted sunfish.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have orangespotted sunfish?

orangespotted sunfish are found in 62 graded lakes: 62 in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of lakes with orangespotted sunfish is F (Very Poor).

What are the best lakes for orangespotted sunfish?

The best orangespotted sunfish lakes by water quality are Green Lake, Sarah Lake, Long Lake, Barrett Lake, Tyson Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where orangespotted sunfish have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with orangespotted sunfish?

orangespotted sunfish are most commonly found alongside black bullhead, common carp, yellow perch, black crappie, white sucker. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in orangespotted sunfish Lakes

Black bullhead Lakes

Found together in 62 lakes · 28 total

Common carp Lakes

Found together in 60 lakes · 6 total

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 60 lakes · 113 total

Black Crappie Lakes

Found together in 56 lakes · 41 total

White sucker Lakes

Found together in 54 lakes · 121 total

Walleye Lakes

Found together in 53 lakes · 840 total

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.