Quillback Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 33 Minnesota lakes

Quillback is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 33 lakes carry documentation. Quillback is narrowly distributed — only 33 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 grade on: a rough-fish-heavy fishery often reflects an underlying nutrient-loading problem in the watershed. Cross-reference the Quillback lake list below against the letter grades: lakes with both an A or B grade and Quillback documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Quillback Lakes Map

Every Minnesota lake with documented quillback, colored by water-quality grade.

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Best Quillback Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Lake St Croix	Pierce	B	7.2 ft	78 ft
2	Pool	Washington	B	5.9 ft	78 ft
3	Upper Red Lake: West-Central	Beltrami	C	2 ft	15 ft
4	Pool of Lake St Croix	Washington	C	4.3 ft	78 ft
5	Upper Red Lake: East Central	Beltrami	C	2 ft	15 ft
6	Upper Estuary Lake	St. Louis	C	1.9 ft	55 ft
7	Round Lake	Jackson	D	2 ft	9 ft
8	Zumbro Lake	Olmsted	D	4 ft	43 ft
9	Emily Lake	Pope	D	2 ft	6 ft
10	Upper Red Lake: East	Beltrami	D	2 ft	15 ft
11	Upper Red Lake: West	Beltrami	D	2 ft	15 ft
12	Upper Red Lake: Central	Beltrami	D	2 ft	15 ft
13	Little Spirit Lake	Jackson	D	3.3 ft	8 ft
14	Madison Lake	Blue Earth	D	4 ft	59 ft
15	Mud Lake	Martin	F	1.6 ft	19 ft
16	Hall Lake	Martin	F	3 ft	27 ft
17	Sisseton Lake	Martin	F	2.5 ft	19 ft
18	Fox Lake	Martin	F	1 ft	20 ft
19	Amber Lake	Martin	F	2 ft	19 ft
20	Budd Lake	Martin	F	3.2 ft	23 ft
21	East Toqua Lake	Big Stone	F	1.6 ft	9 ft
22	Byllesby Lake	Dakota	F	3 ft	50 ft
23	Gorman Lake	Le Sueur	F	3.7 ft	14 ft
24	East Graham Lake	Nobles	F	3.3 ft	8 ft
25	Bright Lake	Martin	F	1 ft	7 ft
26	West Graham Lake	Nobles	F	4.1 ft	8 ft
27	Lime Lake	Murray	F	0.4 ft	7 ft
28	Bloody Lake	Murray	F	0.7 ft	9 ft
29	Shetek Lake	Murray	F	1.1 ft	10 ft
30	Pepin Lake	Pepin	NR	3 ft	60 ft
31	Spring Lake	Dakota	NR	2.1 ft	17 ft
32	Little Tuttle Lake	Martin	NR	1 ft	7 ft
33	Talcot Lake	Cottonwood	NR	0.2 ft	6 ft

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have quillback?

Quillback are found in 33 lakes in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is D (Nutrient-rich).

What are the best quillback lakes in Minnesota?

The best quillback lakes in Minnesota by water quality are Lake St Croix, Pool, Upper Red Lake: West-Central, Pool of Lake St Croix, Upper Red Lake: East Central.

Fish species from state agency survey, stocking, and public fishing-access records; water-quality grades from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys.