Panfish Lakes in Minnesota, Wisconsin & Michigan

Other SpeciesFound in 1,148 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. 1,148 lakes carry documentation. With 1,148 lakes in Wisconsin carrying a documented record, Panfish 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.

1,148

Total Lakes

1,148

Wisconsin lakes →

Avg. Grade

35 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Panfish Lakes

395

34%

304

26%

227

20%

141

12%

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	Big Bass Lake	Washburn	WI	A	27 ft	4
3	Deep Lake	Adams	WI	A	49 ft	4
4	Beasley Lake	Waupaca	WI	A	47 ft	6
5	Bass Lake	Washburn	WI	A	31 ft	4
6	Bass Lake	Oconto	WI	A	40 ft	3
7	Bass Lake	Oconto	WI	A	25 ft	2
8	Explosion Lake	Oconto	WI	A	-	3
9	White Sand Lake Deep	Vilas	WI	A	63 ft	6
10	Lake Lucerne	Forest	WI	A	73 ft	6
11	Lake Metonga	Forest	WI	A	79 ft	5
12	Round Lake	Sawyer	WI	A	74 ft	6
13	Round Lake	Waupaca	WI	A	67 ft	8
14	Round Lake	Oconto	WI	A	31 ft	1
15	Clear Lake	Sawyer	WI	A	32 ft	4
16	Clear Lake	Polk	WI	A	26 ft	4
17	Clear Lake	Lincoln	WI	A	45 ft	4
18	Clear Lake	Oneida	WI	A	95 ft	6
19	Razorback Lake	Vilas	WI	A	35 ft	6
20	Little Spider Lake	Vilas	WI	A	23 ft	5
21	Two Island Lake	Chippewa	WI	A	38 ft	2
22	Long Lake	Bayfield	WI	A	28 ft	4
23	Long Lake	Burnett	WI	A	41 ft	4
24	North Lake	Florence	WI	A	43 ft	5
25	Pike Lake	Polk	WI	A	33 ft	4
26	Anderson Lake	Vilas	WI	A	63 ft	2
27	Carlin Lake	Vilas	WI	A	36 ft	3
28	Wolf Lake	Adams	WI	A	58 ft	4
29	Butternut Lake	Forest	WI	A	42 ft	4
30	Green Lake	Oconto	WI	A	25 ft	2
31	Archibald Lake	Oconto	WI	A	50 ft	4
32	Hemlock Lake	Oneida	WI	A	25 ft	3
33	Samoset Lake	Bayfield	WI	A	40 ft	3
34	North Twin Lake	Polk	WI	A	27 ft	4
35	Papoose Lake	Vilas	WI	A	65 ft	6
36	Deer Lake	Polk	WI	A	46 ft	5
37	Island Lake	Bayfield	WI	A	51 ft	4
38	Loon Lake	Washburn	WI	A	63 ft	2
39	Eagle Lake	Bayfield	WI	A	52 ft	6
40	Eagle Lake	Marinette	WI	A	30 ft	3
41	Stone Lake	Washburn	WI	A	49 ft	5
42	Paya Lake	Oconto	WI	A	40 ft	3
43	Big Lake	Vilas	WI	A	30 ft	6
44	Boot Lake	Oconto	WI	A	38 ft	5
45	Upper Kaubashine Lake	Oneida	WI	A	56 ft	6
46	Squash Lake	Oneida	WI	A	74 ft	6
47	Thunder Lake	Marinette	WI	A	62 ft	3
48	White Lake	Marquette	WI	A	60 ft	4
49	White Lake	Langlade	WI	A	42 ft	5
50	Plummer Lake	Vilas	WI	A	85 ft	5

Showing top 50 of 1,148 lakes with panfish.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have panfish?

Panfish are found in 1,148 graded lakes: 1,148 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, Big Bass Lake, Deep Lake, Beasley Lake, Bass 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, smallmouth bass, musky. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Panfish Lakes

Largemouth bass Lakes

Found together in 1,100 lakes · 172 total

Northern pike Lakes

Found together in 913 lakes · 99 total

Walleye Lakes

Found together in 694 lakes · 840 total

Smallmouth bass Lakes

Found together in 406 lakes · 117 total

Musky Lakes

Found together in 406 lakes · 410 total

Trout Lakes

Found together in 100 lakes · 104 total

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.