Panfish Fishing Guide

PanfishDocumented in 1,152 graded lakes across 1 state

Panfish is panfish — the family of smaller, abundant species that anchor kid-friendly fishing and ice-fishing in the 49 states and 2 Canadian provinces LakeQuality covers. Documented in 1,152 lakes across our dataset. With 1,152 lakes in Wisconsin carrying a documented record, Panfish is one of the more accessible targets in the dataset.

Panfish species like Panfish tolerate a wide range of water quality, so their presence in a lake says less about the lake than the absence of a game-fish would. Cross-reference the Panfish lake list below against the letter grades: lakes with both an A or B grade and Panfish documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Panfish Seasonal Forecast & Techniques

Part of the LakeQuality Fishing Forecast. Spawn trigger: Bluegill, crappie, and perch move shallow to spawn in warming late-spring bays. Forage: Insects, zooplankton, and small minnows. 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 2–8 ft	warming bays, weed and brush cover	small jigs and live bait under a float
Summer	weed edges 6–18 ft	deeper weedlines, docks, brush	small jigs, slip-bobbers, live bait
Fall	mid 8–20 ft	deeper weed edges and basin	small jigs and spoons
Winter / Ice	8–25 ft	basin holes and deep weed edges	tungsten ice jigs with waxworms/minnows

Clear-water tactics:tiny natural jigs, light lineStained-water tactics:brighter jigs, scent, slower presentation

1,152

Total Lakes

1,152

Wisconsin lakes →

Avg. Grade

34 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Panfish Lakes

483

42%

111

10%

Best Panfish Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with panfish ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend	Washington	WI	A	105 ft	4
2	Big Cedar Lake-South Site-Near West Bend	Washington	WI	A	105 ft	4
3	Green Lake	Green Lake	WI	A	236 ft	7
4	Lake Beulah	Walworth	WI	A	58 ft	3
5	Okauchee Lake	Waukesha	WI	A	90 ft	6
6	Geneva Lake	Walworth	WI	A	135 ft	6
7	Powers Lake	Kenosha	WI	A	33 ft	5
8	Lac Courte Oreilles Lake	Sawyer	WI	A	90 ft	6
9	Whitefish Lake	Sawyer	WI	A	105 ft	7
10	Round Lake	Sawyer	WI	A	74 ft	6
11	Indian Lake	Sawyer	WI	A	9 ft	3
12	Big Sand Lake	Burnett	WI	A	55 ft	5
13	Little Lac Courte Oreilles Lake	Sawyer	WI	A	46 ft	6
14	Christner Lake	Sawyer	WI	A	16 ft	2
15	Sand Lake	Sawyer	WI	A	50 ft	6
16	Ashegon Lake	Sawyer	WI	A	56 ft	6
17	Blueberry Lake	Sawyer	WI	A	29 ft	5
18	Koonz Lake	Shawano	WI	A	40 ft	4
19	Little Round Lake	Sawyer	WI	A	38 ft	6
20	Osprey Lake	Sawyer	WI	A	32 ft	6
21	Grindstone Lake	Sawyer	WI	A	60 ft	6
22	Lost Lake	Sawyer	WI	A	13 ft	2
23	Gaslyn Lake	Burnett	WI	A	12 ft	3
24	Malone Lake	Shawano	WI	A	31 ft	3
25	Sams Lake	Shawano	WI	A	13 ft	2
26	Mission Lake	Shawano	WI	A	44 ft	2
27	Bealeau Lake	Shawano	WI	A	24 ft	4
28	King Lake	Marinette	WI	A	70 ft	2
29	Mole Lake	Forest	WI	A	17 ft	4
30	Cloud Lake	Forest	WI	A	25 ft	2
31	Wind Lake	Polk	WI	B	7 ft	4
32	Green Lake	Walworth	WI	B	57 ft	4
33	Green Lake	Washington	WI	B	37 ft	4
34	Potter Lake	Walworth	WI	B	26 ft	3
35	Boulder Lake	Vilas	WI	B	23 ft	6
36	Boulder Lake	Oconto	WI	B	11 ft	5
37	Lake Noquebay	Marinette	WI	B	51 ft	6
38	Spider Lake	Sawyer	WI	B	64 ft	5
39	Spider Lake	Vilas	WI	B	43 ft	6
40	Pickerel Lake	Forest	WI	B	19 ft	4
41	Pickerel Lake	Oconto	WI	B	10 ft	3
42	Pickerel Lake	Vilas	WI	B	26 ft	5
43	Pickerel Lake	Lincoln	WI	B	14 ft	3
44	Carpenter Lake	Vilas	WI	B	16 ft	5
45	Cranberry Lake	Burnett	WI	B	26 ft	4
46	Cranberry Lake	Bayfield	WI	B	12 ft	5
47	Beaver Dam Lake	Barron	WI	B	106 ft	6
48	North Turtle Lake	Vilas	WI	B	58 ft	6
49	Balsam Lake	Polk	WI	B	37 ft	4
50	Silver Lake	Kenosha	WI	B	44 ft	7

Showing top 50 of 1,152 lakes with panfish.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have panfish?

Panfish are found in 1,152 graded lakes: 1,152 in Wisconsin. The average water quality grade of lakes with panfish is B (Good).

What are the best lakes for panfish?

The best panfish lakes by water quality are Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend, Big Cedar Lake-South Site-Near West Bend, Green Lake, Lake Beulah, Okauchee Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where panfish have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with panfish?

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

Other Fish Species in Panfish Lakes

Largemouth Bass Lakes

Found together in 1,104 lakes · 2,593 total

Northern Pike Lakes

Found together in 913 lakes · 2,487 total

Walleye Lakes

Found together in 697 lakes · 1,982 total

Musky Lakes

Found together in 415 lakes · 419 total

Smallmouth Bass Lakes

Found together in 409 lakes · 953 total

Trout Lakes

Found together in 100 lakes · 104 total

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