Quillback Fishing Guide: 29 Lakes by Water Quality

Quillback is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 29 lakes carry documentation. Quillback is narrowly distributed — only 29 lakes in Minnesota have a documented record. The constraint is usually habitat: cold water, specific depth profile, or river connection.

Rough-fish-dominant lakes are worth checking the phosphorus and chlorophyll-a readings on: a rough-fish-heavy fishery often reflects an underlying nutrient-loading problem in the watershed. Cross-reference the Quillback lake list below against each lake's clarity, phosphorus and algae readings: lakes with low nutrient readings and Quillback documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

Minnesota lakes →

26 ft

Avg. Depth

Best Quillback Lakes by Water Quality

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

Rank	Lake	County	State	Depth	Species
1	Lake St Croix	Pierce	MN	78 ft	36
2	Pool	Washington	MN	78 ft	36
3	Pool of Lake St Croix	Washington	MN	78 ft	36
4	Upper Estuary Lake	St. Louis	MN	55 ft	33
5	Round Lake	Jackson	MN	9 ft	17
6	Zumbro Lake	Olmsted	MN	43 ft	24
7	Emily Lake	Pope	MN	6 ft	26
8	Upper Red Lake	Beltrami	MN	15 ft	15
9	Little Spirit Lake	Jackson	MN	8 ft	23
10	Madison Lake	Blue Earth	MN	59 ft	20
11	Mud Lake	Martin	MN	19 ft	17
12	Hall Lake	Martin	MN	27 ft	19
13	Sisseton Lake	Martin	MN	19 ft	20
14	Fox Lake	Martin	MN	20 ft	17
15	Amber Lake	Martin	MN	19 ft	17
16	Budd Lake	Martin	MN	23 ft	20
17	East Toqua Lake	Big Stone	MN	9 ft	15
18	Byllesby Lake	Dakota	MN	50 ft	19
19	Gorman Lake	Le Sueur	MN	14 ft	16
20	East Graham Lake	Nobles	MN	8 ft	15
21	Bright Lake	Martin	MN	7 ft	20
22	West Graham Lake	Nobles	MN	8 ft	17
23	Lime Lake	Murray	MN	7 ft	13
24	Bloody Lake	Murray	MN	9 ft	15
25	Shetek Lake	Murray	MN	10 ft	17
26	Pepin Lake	Pepin	MN	60 ft	47
27	Spring Lake	Dakota	MN	17 ft	21
28	Little Tuttle Lake	Martin	MN	7 ft	20
29	Talcot Lake	Cottonwood	MN	6 ft	19

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have quillback?

Quillback are documented in 29 lakes: 29 in Minnesota.

What are the best lakes for quillback?

The best quillback lakes by water quality are Lake St Croix, Pool, Pool of Lake St Croix, Upper Estuary Lake, Round Lake. These lakes carry the lowest nutrient and algae readings among all lakes where quillback have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with quillback?

Quillback are most commonly found alongside black crappie, quillback, walleye, common carp, yellow perch. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Quillback Lakes

Black Crappie Lakes

Found together in 29 lakes · 1,386 total

Walleye Lakes

Found together in 29 lakes · 1,884 total

Common Carp Lakes

Found together in 28 lakes · 487 total

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 28 lakes · 1,577 total

Black Bullhead Lakes

Found together in 27 lakes · 911 total

White Sucker Lakes

Found together in 27 lakes · 1,211 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.