Quillback Lakes in Minnesota, 29 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. 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.

Minnesota Lakes

Counties

Quillback Lakes Map

Every Minnesota lake with documented quillback.

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Best Quillback Lakes in Minnesota

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have quillback?

Quillback are found in 29 lakes in Minnesota.

What are the best quillback lakes in Minnesota?

The best quillback lakes in Minnesota by water quality are Lake St Croix, Pool, Pool of Lake St Croix, Upper Estuary Lake, Round Lake.

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