Sand shiner Lakes in Michigan

Found in 76 Michigan lakes

Rough fish like Sand shiner are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 76 Michigan lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Sand shiner is narrowly distributed — only 76 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 LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Sand shiner documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Michigan Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Sand shiner Lakes in Michigan

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Pickerel Lake	Kalkaska	A	15 ft	-
2	Lake Margrethe	Crawford	A	16 ft	-
3	Higgins Lake East Basin	Roscommon	A	35 ft	-
4	Higgins Lake Northwest Basin	Roscommon	A	34.5 ft	-
5	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	A	24 ft	-
6	Diamond Lake	Osceola	A	16 ft	-
7	Lower Herring Lake East Basin; Blaire Township	Benzie	A	16 ft	-
8	Burt Lake	Cheboygan	A	15.5 ft	-
9	Long Lake	Cheboygan	A	18 ft	-
10	Douglas Lake	Otsego	A	16.5 ft	-
11	Walloon Lake	Emmet	A	-	-
12	Crooked Lake	Emmet	A	-	-
13	Spring Lake	Emmet	A	-	-
14	Elk Lake	Antrim	A	-	-
15	Rennie Lake; Central Basin; East Bay Township	Grand Traverse	A	13 ft	-
16	Ore Lake West Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	A	10 ft	-
17	Beaver Lake	Alger	A	14.7 ft	-
18	Otter Lake	Benzie	A	12 ft	-
19	Lower Hamlin Lake North Central Basin South of the Narrows	Mason	A	13.5 ft	-
20	Fishers Lake North Central Basin; Park Township	St. Joseph	A	10.5 ft	-
21	Upper Woodcock Lake; Almira Twp	Benzie	A	11 ft	-
22	Bear Lake East Basin; Pleasanton Township	Manistee	B	11 ft	-
23	Long Lake	Cass	B	10.5 ft	-
24	Lake Ann	Benzie	B	13.8 ft	-
25	Long Lake South Central Basin	Cass	B	10.5 ft	-
26	Rennie Lake	Grand Traverse	B	13 ft	-
27	Beaver Lake	Keweenaw	B	8 ft	-
28	Sylvan Lake	Newaygo	B	13.5 ft	-
29	Murray Lake East Basin; Grattan Township	Kent	B	7.2 ft	-
30	Scram Lake East Basin; Oakfield Township	Kent	B	11.5 ft	-
31	Long Lake	Gogebic	B	11.5 ft	-
32	Eagle Lake	Allegan	B	14 ft	-
33	Long Lake	Benzie	B	11.5 ft	-
34	Fishers Lake	St. Joseph	B	10.5 ft	-
35	Base Line Lake Northeast Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	B	10.5 ft	-
36	Scram Lake	Kent	B	10.5 ft	-
37	Otter Lake	Oakland	B	10 ft	-
38	Crooked Lake	Barry	B	10 ft	-
39	Otter Lake	Benzie	B	12 ft	-
40	Deer Lake	Charlevoix	B	11.5 ft	-
41	Mullett Lake	Cheboygan	B	13 ft	-
42	Lower Herring Lake	Benzie	B	13.8 ft	-
43	Lower Woodcock Lake	Benzie	B	12.3 ft	-
44	Lower Woodcock Lake; Almira Twp	Benzie	B	12.3 ft	-
45	Elk Lake	Antrim	B	14.5 ft	-
46	Douglas Lake	Cheboygan	B	12 ft	-
47	Upper Woodcock Lake	Benzie	B	11 ft	-
48	Long Lake	Gogebic	B	12 ft	-
49	Big Star Lake Central Basin; Lake Township	Lake	B	8 ft	-
50	Upper Herring Lake; Central Basin; Blaine Township	Benzie	B	8 ft	-

Showing top 50 of 76 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michigan lakes have sand shiner?

Sand shiner are found in 76 lakes in Michigan. The average water quality grade of these lakes is B (Good).

What are the best sand shiner lakes in Michigan?

The best sand shiner lakes in Michigan by water quality are Pickerel Lake, Lake Margrethe, Higgins Lake East Basin, Higgins Lake Northwest Basin, Long Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.