Panfish Lakes in Wisconsin

Found in 1,148 Wisconsin lakes

Rough fish like Panfish are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 1,148 Wisconsin lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. 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

Wisconsin Lakes

Avg. Grade

395

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Panfish Lakes in Wisconsin

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Geneva Lake	Walworth	A	20.2 ft	135 ft
2	Big Bass Lake	Washburn	A	17.9 ft	27 ft
3	Deep Lake	Adams	A	15.5 ft	49 ft
4	Beasley Lake	Waupaca	A	18.4 ft	47 ft
5	Bass Lake	Washburn	A	16 ft	31 ft
6	Bass Lake	Oconto	A	16.8 ft	40 ft
7	Bass Lake	Oconto	A	-	25 ft
8	Explosion Lake	Oconto	A	17 ft	-
9	White Sand Lake Deep	Vilas	A	18 ft	63 ft
10	Lake Lucerne	Forest	A	18.5 ft	73 ft
11	Lake Metonga	Forest	A	22 ft	79 ft
12	Round Lake	Sawyer	A	21.1 ft	74 ft
13	Round Lake	Waupaca	A	17.5 ft	67 ft
14	Round Lake	Oconto	A	16.8 ft	31 ft
15	Clear Lake	Sawyer	A	17.2 ft	32 ft
16	Clear Lake	Polk	A	15.5 ft	26 ft
17	Clear Lake	Lincoln	A	18 ft	45 ft
18	Clear Lake	Oneida	A	-	95 ft
19	Razorback Lake	Vilas	A	15.2 ft	35 ft
20	Little Spider Lake	Vilas	A	16 ft	23 ft
21	Two Island Lake	Chippewa	A	15.3 ft	38 ft
22	Long Lake	Bayfield	A	16.2 ft	28 ft
23	Long Lake	Burnett	A	21.5 ft	41 ft
24	North Lake	Florence	A	15 ft	43 ft
25	Pike Lake	Polk	A	-	33 ft
26	Anderson Lake	Vilas	A	21 ft	63 ft
27	Carlin Lake	Vilas	A	21 ft	36 ft
28	Wolf Lake	Adams	A	15 ft	58 ft
29	Butternut Lake	Forest	A	19.5 ft	42 ft
30	Green Lake	Oconto	A	18.3 ft	25 ft
31	Archibald Lake	Oconto	A	17.6 ft	50 ft
32	Hemlock Lake	Oneida	A	15 ft	25 ft
33	Samoset Lake	Bayfield	A	15 ft	40 ft
34	North Twin Lake	Polk	A	-	27 ft
35	Papoose Lake	Vilas	A	15 ft	65 ft
36	Deer Lake	Polk	A	16 ft	46 ft
37	Island Lake	Bayfield	A	17 ft	51 ft
38	Loon Lake	Washburn	A	-	63 ft
39	Eagle Lake	Bayfield	A	17 ft	52 ft
40	Eagle Lake	Marinette	A	15 ft	30 ft
41	Stone Lake	Washburn	A	23 ft	49 ft
42	Paya Lake	Oconto	A	20 ft	40 ft
43	Big Lake	Vilas	A	-	30 ft
44	Boot Lake	Oconto	A	21.5 ft	38 ft
45	Upper Kaubashine Lake	Oneida	A	19 ft	56 ft
46	Squash Lake	Oneida	A	17.4 ft	74 ft
47	Thunder Lake	Marinette	A	18 ft	62 ft
48	White Lake	Marquette	A	17 ft	60 ft
49	White Lake	Langlade	A	17 ft	42 ft
50	Plummer Lake	Vilas	A	18 ft	85 ft

Showing top 50 of 1,148 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Wisconsin lakes have panfish?

Panfish are found in 1,148 lakes in Wisconsin. The average water quality grade of these lakes is B (Good).

What are the best panfish lakes in Wisconsin?

The best panfish lakes in Wisconsin by water quality are Geneva Lake, Big Bass Lake, Deep Lake, Beasley Lake, Bass Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.