Sand Shiner Fishing Guide, 66 Best-Graded Lakes

Sand Shiner is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 66 lakes carry documentation. Sand Shiner is narrowly distributed — only 66 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 Sand Shiner lake list below against the letter grades: lakes with both an A or B grade and Sand Shiner documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

Michigan lakes →

Avg. Grade

59 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Sand Shiner Lakes

17%

Best Sand Shiner Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with sand shiner ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Ore Lake	Livingston	MI	A	81 ft	14
2	Rennie Lake	Grand Traverse	MI	A	27 ft	9
3	Derby Lake	Montcalm	MI	A	87 ft	12
4	Murray Lake	Kent	MI	A	-	29
5	Big Star Lake	Lake	MI	A	-	18
6	Sylvan Lake	Oakland	MI	A	-	14
7	Otter Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	30
8	Upper Woodcock Lake	Benzie	MI	A	45 ft	9
9	Lower Woodcock Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	9
10	Crooked Lake	Emmet	MI	A	50 ft	26
11	Spring Lake	Emmet	MI	A	-	15
12	Tamarack Lake	Livingston	MI	B	34 ft	20
13	Beaver Lake	Keweenaw	MI	B	-	16
14	Beaver Lake	Alger	MI	B	39 ft	14
15	Pleasant Lake	Oakland	MI	B	-	11
16	Walloon Lake	Emmet	MI	B	-	20
17	Upper Hamlin Lake	Mason	MI	C	-	6
18	Lower Hamlin Lake	Mason	MI	C	-	11
19	Lower Herring Lake	Benzie	MI	NR	50 ft	25
20	Lake Bellaire	Antrim	MI	NR	95 ft	22
21	Crooked Lake	Barry	MI	NR	-	27
22	Lake Ann	Benzie	MI	NR	75 ft	10
23	Long Lake	Gogebic	MI	NR	60 ft	40
24	Pleasant Lake	Wexford	MI	NR	10 ft	11
25	Shavehead Lake	Cass	MI	NR	70 ft	25
26	Fishers Lake	St. Joseph	MI	NR	42 ft	8
27	Shavehead Lake	Cass	MI	NR	70 ft	26
28	Eagle Lake	Cass	MI	NR	35 ft	22
29	Cedar Lake	Alcona	MI	NR	10 ft	22
30	Lake Margrethe	Crawford	MI	NR	65 ft	21
31	White Lake	Muskegon	MI	NR	-	17
32	Pickerel Lake	Kalkaska	MI	NR	72 ft	29
33	Eagle Lake	Allegan	MI	NR	-	30
34	Cedar Lake	Iosco	MI	NR	-	20
35	Upper Herring Lake	Benzie	MI	NR	25 ft	18
36	Sylvan Lake	Newaygo	MI	NR	63 ft	14
37	White Lake	Oakland	MI	NR	-	17
38	Scram Lake	Kent	MI	NR	85 ft	14
39	Jordan Lake	Barry	MI	NR	-	23
40	Round Lake	Lenawee	MI	NR	-	5
41	Otter Lake	Oakland	MI	NR	70 ft	30
42	Cedar Lake	Oakland	MI	NR	-	22
43	Crooked Lake	Oakland	MI	NR	60 ft	27
44	Bloomfield Lake	Oakland	MI	NR	-	17
45	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	MI	NR	88 ft	40
46	Long Lake	Benzie	MI	NR	-	40
47	Baldwin Lake	Cass	MI	NR	-	25
48	Long Lake	Cass	MI	NR	42 ft	25
49	Diamond Lake	Newaygo	MI	NR	25 ft	25
50	Baldwins Lake	Cass	MI	NR	55 ft	33

Showing top 50 of 66 lakes with sand shiner.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have sand shiner?

Sand Shiner are found in 66 graded lakes: 66 in Michigan. The average water quality grade of lakes with sand shiner is A (Excellent).

What are the best lakes for sand shiner?

The best sand shiner lakes by water quality are Ore Lake, Rennie Lake, Derby Lake, Murray Lake, Big Star Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where sand shiner have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with sand shiner?

Sand Shiner are most commonly found alongside sand shiner, bluntnose minnow, yellow perch, rock bass, bluegill. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Sand Shiner Lakes

Bluntnose Minnow Lakes

Found together in 60 lakes · 160 total

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 56 lakes · 1,577 total

Rock Bass Lakes

Found together in 55 lakes · 786 total

Bluegill Lakes

Found together in 53 lakes · 1,550 total

Largemouth Bass Lakes

Found together in 48 lakes · 2,489 total

Iowa Darter Lakes

Found together in 45 lakes · 126 total

Fish species from state agency survey, stocking, and public fishing-access records; water-quality grades from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys. Species profiles are general reference; always check current state regulations before fishing.