Rainbow smelt Lakes in Minnesota, Wisconsin & Michigan

Other SpeciesFound in 15 lakes

Rough fish like Rainbow smelt are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 15 Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Rainbow smelt is narrowly distributed — only 15 lakes in Michigan 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 Rainbow smelt lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Rainbow smelt documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

Michigan lakes →

Avg. Grade

153 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Rainbow smelt Lakes

36%

20%

22%

Best Rainbow smelt Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with rainbow smelt ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Trout Lake	Cook	MN	A	77 ft	6
2	Pokegama Lake	Itasca	MN	A	112 ft	19
3	Hungry Jack Lake	Cook	MN	A	71 ft	9
4	Little Long Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	45 ft	11
5	Burntside Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	126 ft	15
6	Gunflint Lake	Cook	MN	A	200 ft	12
7	Bearskin Lake	Cook	MN	A	78 ft	9
8	Pokegama Lake	Itasca	MN	A	112 ft	19
9	Little Gunflint Lake	Cook	MN	A	200 ft	12
10	Iron Chief Complex Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	262.1 ft	3
11	Crystal Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	9
12	Lake Charlevoix	Charlevoix	MI	A	-	3
13	Walloon Lake	Emmet	MI	A	-	20
14	Lake Charlevoix	Charlevoix	MI	A	-	3
15	Little Long Lake Central Basin; Prairieville Township	Barry	MI	A	-	1
16	Duck Lake; Center of Deepest Basin; Fruitland Township	Muskegon	MI	A	-	22
17	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	MN	B	150 ft	18
18	Chester Lake	Cook	MN	B	35 ft	3
19	Gilbert Pit Lake	St. Louis	MN	B	443 ft	10
20	Crystal Lake	Montcalm	MI	B	-	16
21	Duck Lake	Muskegon	MI	B	-	22
22	Crystal Lake	Gogebic	MI	B	-	16
23	Crystal Lake	Hillsdale	MI	B	-	16
24	Gun Lake	Mason	MI	B	-	17
25	Crystal Lake; East Central Basin; Watersmeet Township	Gogebic	MI	B	-	16
26	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	MN	C	150 ft	18
27	Rainy Lake	St. Louis	MN	C	161 ft	17
28	Sand Point Lake	St. Louis	MN	C	184 ft	21
29	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	MN	C	150 ft	18
30	Rainy Lake	St. Louis	MN	C	161 ft	17
31	Rainy Lake	Koochiching	MN	C	161 ft	17
32	Lac la Croix Lake	St. Louis	MN	C	168 ft	12
33	Crystal Lake	Hillsdale	MI	C	-	16
34	Lake Bellaire	Antrim	MI	C	-	22
35	Duck Lake	Muskegon	MI	C	-	22
36	Rainy Lake	Koochiching	MN	D	161 ft	17
37	Rainy Lake	St. Louis	MN	D	161 ft	17
38	Sand Point Lake	St. Louis	MN	D	184 ft	21
39	Rainy Lake	Koochiching	MN	D	161 ft	17
40	Rainy Lake	Koochiching	MN	D	161 ft	17
41	Rainy Lake	Koochiching	MN	D	161 ft	17
42	Sand Point Lake	St. Louis	MN	D	184 ft	21
43	Rainy Lake	Koochiching	MN	D	161 ft	17
44	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	MN	D	150 ft	18
45	Upper Estuary Lake	St. Louis	MN	D	55 ft	33

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have rainbow smelt?

Rainbow smelt are found in 15 graded lakes: 15 in Michigan. The average water quality grade of lakes with rainbow smelt is B (Good).

What are the best lakes for rainbow smelt?

The best rainbow smelt lakes by water quality are Trout Lake, Pokegama Lake, Hungry Jack Lake, Little Long Lake, Burntside Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where rainbow smelt have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with rainbow smelt?

Rainbow smelt are most commonly found alongside rainbow smelt, yellow perch, white sucker, northern pike, smallmouth bass. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Rainbow smelt Lakes

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 28 lakes · 113 total

White sucker Lakes

Found together in 27 lakes · 121 total

Northern pike Lakes

Found together in 27 lakes · 99 total

Smallmouth bass Lakes

Found together in 27 lakes · 117 total

Walleye Lakes

Found together in 27 lakes · 840 total

Rock bass Lakes

Found together in 25 lakes · 117 total

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.