quillback Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 34 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. 34 lakes carry documentation. quillback is narrowly distributed — only 34 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 LakeGrade rubric: 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

Best quillback Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Lake St. Croix	Washington	B	5.2 ft	78 ft
2	St. Croix Lake	Washington	C	8.7 ft	78 ft
3	Pool of Lake St. Croix	Washington	C	4.3 ft	78 ft
4	Pool on Lake St. Croix	Washington	C	5.9 ft	78 ft
5	Zumbro Lake	Olmsted	D	4 ft	43 ft
6	Upper Red Lake: West-Central	Beltrami	D	2 ft	15 ft
7	Upper Red Lake: East	Beltrami	D	2 ft	15 ft
8	Upper Red Lake: West	Beltrami	D	2 ft	15 ft
9	Upper Red Lake: East Central	Beltrami	D	2 ft	15 ft
10	Upper Red Lake: Central	Beltrami	D	2 ft	15 ft
11	Little Spirit Lake	Jackson	D	3.3 ft	8 ft
12	Madison Lake	Blue Earth	D	4 ft	59 ft
13	Upper Estuary Lake	St. Louis	D	1.9 ft	55 ft
14	Round Lake	Jackson	D	2 ft	9 ft
15	Gorman Lake	Le Sueur	D	3.7 ft	14 ft
16	West Graham Lake	Nobles	D	4.1 ft	8 ft
17	Budd Lake	Martin	F	3.2 ft	23 ft
18	Mud Lake	Martin	F	1.6 ft	19 ft
19	Emily Lake	Pope	F	2 ft	6 ft
20	Hall Lake	Martin	F	3 ft	27 ft
21	Sisseton Lake	Martin	F	2.5 ft	19 ft
22	Fox Lake	Martin	F	1 ft	20 ft
23	Pepin Lake	Pepin	F	3 ft	60 ft
24	Spring Lake	Dakota	F	2.1 ft	17 ft
25	Amber Lake	Martin	F	2 ft	19 ft
26	East Toqua Lake	Big Stone	F	1.6 ft	9 ft
27	Byllesby Lake	Dakota	F	3 ft	50 ft
28	Little Tuttle Lake	Martin	F	1 ft	7 ft
29	East Graham Lake	Nobles	F	3.3 ft	8 ft
30	Bright Lake	Martin	F	1 ft	7 ft
31	Lime Lake	Murray	F	0.4 ft	7 ft
32	Bloody Lake	Murray	F	0.7 ft	9 ft
33	Talcot Lake	Cottonwood	F	0.2 ft	6 ft
34	Shetek Lake	Murray	F	1.1 ft	10 ft

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have quillback?

quillback are found in 34 lakes in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is D (Poor).

What are the best quillback lakes in Minnesota?

The best quillback lakes in Minnesota by water quality are Lake St. Croix, St. Croix Lake, Pool of Lake St. Croix, Pool on Lake St. Croix, Zumbro Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.