Panfish Lakes in Minnesota & Wisconsin

Other SpeciesFound in 1,182 lakes

Panfish is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 1,182 lakes carry documentation. With 0 Minnesota lakes and 1,182 in Wisconsin documenting Panfish, the species is one of the more accessible targets in the dataset.

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

1,182

Total Lakes

Minnesota

1,182

Wisconsin

Avg. Grade

37 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Panfish Lakes

849

72%

170

14%

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	Geneva Lake	Walworth	WI	A	135 ft	6
2	Lac Courte Oreilles Lake	Sawyer	WI	A	90 ft	6
3	Sunset Lake	Portage	WI	A	55 ft	3
4	Sunset Lake	Vilas	WI	A	30 ft	6
5	Grindstone Lake	Sawyer	WI	A	60 ft	6
6	Middle Sugarbush Lake	Vilas	WI	A	57 ft	6
7	Irving Lake	Vilas	WI	A	-	4
8	Windigo Lake	Sawyer	WI	A	51 ft	5
9	Towanda Lake	Vilas	WI	A	27 ft	5
10	Parker Lake	Adams	WI	A	36 ft	3
11	West Bay Lake	Vilas	WI	A	57 ft	6
12	West Bay Lake	Vilas	WI	A	23 ft	3
13	West Bay Lake	Vilas	WI	A	31 ft	6
14	Long Lake	Waushara	WI	A	71 ft	4
15	Long Lake	Waupaca	WI	A	76 ft	7
16	Long Lake	Burnett	WI	A	41 ft	4
17	Long Lake	Lincoln	WI	A	64 ft	4
18	Long Lake	Chippewa	WI	A	101 ft	6
19	Long Lake	Fond du Lac	WI	A	47 ft	4
20	Long Lake	Oneida	WI	A	58 ft	4
21	Long Lake	Bayfield	WI	A	28 ft	4
22	Long Lake	Waushara	WI	A	14 ft	3
23	Long Lake	Iron	WI	A	34 ft	6
24	Long Lake	Oneida	WI	A	31 ft	2
25	Chain Lake	Chippewa	WI	A	74 ft	6
26	Chain Lake	Oconto	WI	A	42 ft	3
27	Upper Eau Claire Lake	Bayfield	WI	A	92 ft	6
28	Spring Lake	Waushara	WI	A	37 ft	4
29	Spring Lake	Vilas	WI	A	16 ft	4
30	Spring Lake	Manitowoc	WI	A	23 ft	4
31	Spring Lake	Waukesha	WI	A	22 ft	4
32	Spring Lake	Washburn	WI	A	24 ft	4
33	Black Hawk Lake	Iowa	WI	A	42 ft	4
34	Spider Lake	Vilas	WI	A	43 ft	6
35	Spider Lake	Sawyer	WI	A	64 ft	5
36	Spider Lake	Bayfield	WI	A	15 ft	4
37	Silver Lake	Waupaca	WI	A	17 ft	4
38	Silver Lake	Waukesha	WI	A	40 ft	3
39	Silver Lake	Waushara	WI	A	56 ft	4
40	Silver Lake	Kenosha	WI	A	44 ft	7
41	Silver Lake	Barron	WI	A	91 ft	6
42	Silver Lake	Washburn	WI	A	28 ft	4
43	Silver Lake	Waushara	WI	A	50 ft	4
44	Silver Lake	Vilas	WI	A	-	5
45	Silver Lake	Forest	WI	A	-	6
46	Wood Lake	Marquette	WI	A	53 ft	4
47	Pleasant Lake	Waushara	WI	A	24 ft	3
48	Pleasant Lake	Walworth	WI	A	29 ft	4
49	Lac la Belle Lake	Waukesha	WI	A	45 ft	5
50	Dead Pike Lake	Vilas	WI	A	80 ft	6

Showing top 50 of 1,182 lakes with panfish.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have panfish?

Panfish are found in 1,182 lakes across Minnesota and Wisconsin, 0 in Minnesota and 1,182 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 Geneva Lake, Lac Courte Oreilles Lake, Sunset Lake, Sunset Lake, Grindstone 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.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.