Panfish Fishing Guide: 1,090 Lakes by Water Quality

Panfish is panfish — the family of smaller, abundant species that anchor kid-friendly fishing and ice-fishing in the United States (49 states), Canada (Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador), and 38 other country hubs. LakeQuality covers. Documented in 1,090 lakes across our dataset. With 1,090 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 each lake's clarity, phosphorus and algae readings: lakes with low nutrient readings 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

1,090

Total Lakes

1,090

Wisconsin lakes →

33 ft

Avg. Depth

Best Panfish Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with panfish, ranked on nutrient and algae readings.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Depth	Species
1	Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend	Washington	WI	105 ft	4
2	Green Lake	Green Lake	WI	236 ft	7
3	Lake Beulah	Walworth	WI	58 ft	3
4	Geneva Lake	Walworth	WI	135 ft	6
5	Powers Lake	Kenosha	WI	33 ft	5
6	Lac Courte Oreilles Lake	Sawyer	WI	90 ft	6
7	Whitefish Lake	Sawyer	WI	105 ft	7
8	Round Lake	Sawyer	WI	74 ft	6
9	Indian Lake	Sawyer	WI	9 ft	3
10	Big Sand Lake	Burnett	WI	55 ft	5
11	Christner Lake	Sawyer	WI	16 ft	2
12	Sand Lake	Sawyer	WI	50 ft	6
13	Ashegon Lake	Sawyer	WI	56 ft	6
14	Blueberry Lake	Sawyer	WI	29 ft	5
15	Koonz Lake	Shawano	WI	40 ft	4
16	Little Round Lake	Sawyer	WI	38 ft	6
17	Osprey Lake	Sawyer	WI	32 ft	6
18	Grindstone Lake	Sawyer	WI	60 ft	6
19	Lost Lake	Sawyer	WI	13 ft	2
20	Gaslyn Lake	Burnett	WI	12 ft	3
21	Malone Lake	Shawano	WI	31 ft	3
22	Sams Lake	Shawano	WI	13 ft	2
23	Mission Lake	Shawano	WI	44 ft	2
24	Bealeau Lake	Shawano	WI	24 ft	4
25	King Lake	Marinette	WI	70 ft	2
26	Mole Lake	Forest	WI	17 ft	4
27	Cloud Lake	Forest	WI	25 ft	2
28	Wind Lake	Polk	WI	7 ft	4
29	Green Lake	Walworth	WI	57 ft	4
30	Green Lake	Washington	WI	37 ft	4
31	Potter Lake	Walworth	WI	26 ft	3
32	Boulder Lake	Vilas	WI	23 ft	6
33	Boulder Lake	Oconto	WI	11 ft	5
34	Lake Noquebay	Marinette	WI	51 ft	6
35	Spider Lake	Sawyer	WI	64 ft	5
36	Spider Lake	Vilas	WI	43 ft	6
37	Pickerel Lake	Forest	WI	19 ft	4
38	Pickerel Lake	Oconto	WI	10 ft	3
39	Pickerel Lake	Vilas	WI	26 ft	5
40	Pickerel Lake	Lincoln	WI	14 ft	3
41	Carpenter Lake	Vilas	WI	16 ft	5
42	Cranberry Lake	Burnett	WI	26 ft	4
43	Cranberry Lake	Bayfield	WI	12 ft	5
44	Beaver Dam Lake	Barron	WI	106 ft	6
45	North Turtle Lake	Vilas	WI	58 ft	6
46	Silver Lake	Kenosha	WI	44 ft	7
47	Silver Lake	Waukesha	WI	40 ft	3
48	Silver Lake	Waushara	WI	56 ft	4
49	Silver Lake	Barron	WI	91 ft	6
50	Silver Lake	Waupaca	WI	17 ft	4

Showing top 50 of 1,090 lakes with panfish.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have panfish?

Panfish are documented in 1,090 lakes: 1,090 in Wisconsin.

What are the best lakes for panfish?

The best panfish lakes by water quality are Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend, Green Lake, Lake Beulah, Geneva Lake, Powers Lake. These lakes carry the lowest nutrient and algae readings 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 1,042 lakes · 2,489 total

Northern Pike Lakes

Found together in 856 lakes · 2,386 total

Walleye Lakes

Found together in 640 lakes · 1,884 total

Musky Lakes

Found together in 381 lakes · 385 total

Smallmouth Bass Lakes

Found together in 363 lakes · 871 total

Trout Lakes

Found together in 90 lakes · 94 total

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