Sand Shiner Lakes in Michigan, 66 Lakes

Rough fish like Sand Shiner are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 66 Michigan lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. 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 phosphorus and chlorophyll-a readings 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 each lake's clarity, phosphorus and algae readings: lakes with low nutrient readings and Sand Shiner documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Michigan Lakes

Counties

Sand Shiner Lakes Map

Every Michigan lake with documented sand shiner.

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Best Sand Shiner Lakes in Michigan

Rank	Lake	County	Clarity	Depth
1	Ore Lake	Livingston	9 ft	81 ft
2	Rennie Lake	Grand Traverse	14 ft	27 ft
3	Derby Lake	Montcalm	14 ft	87 ft
4	Murray Lake	Kent	9 ft	-
5	Big Star Lake	Lake	9 ft	-
6	Sylvan Lake	Oakland	10.3 ft	-
7	Otter Lake	Benzie	12 ft	-
8	Upper Woodcock Lake	Benzie	11 ft	45 ft
9	Lower Woodcock Lake	Benzie	12.3 ft	-
10	Crooked Lake	Emmet	-	50 ft
11	Spring Lake	Emmet	-	-
12	Tamarack Lake	Livingston	7 ft	34 ft
13	Beaver Lake	Keweenaw	8.9 ft	-
14	Beaver Lake	Alger	14.5 ft	39 ft
15	Pleasant Lake	Oakland	10 ft	-
16	Walloon Lake	Emmet	-	-
17	Upper Hamlin Lake	Mason	6 ft	-
18	Lower Hamlin Lake	Mason	11.5 ft	-
19	Lower Herring Lake	Benzie	13 ft	50 ft
20	Lake Bellaire	Antrim	12.5 ft	95 ft
21	Crooked Lake	Barry	12 ft	-
22	Lake Ann	Benzie	14.5 ft	75 ft
23	Long Lake	Gogebic	12 ft	60 ft
24	Pleasant Lake	Wexford	9 ft	10 ft
25	Shavehead Lake	Cass	8 ft	70 ft
26	Fishers Lake	St. Joseph	10.5 ft	42 ft
27	Shavehead Lake	Cass	8.5 ft	70 ft
28	Eagle Lake	Cass	7 ft	35 ft
29	Cedar Lake	Alcona	9 ft	10 ft
30	Lake Margrethe	Crawford	16 ft	65 ft
31	White Lake	Muskegon	6.8 ft	-
32	Pickerel Lake	Kalkaska	20 ft	72 ft
33	Eagle Lake	Allegan	15 ft	-
34	Cedar Lake	Iosco	12 ft	-
35	Upper Herring Lake	Benzie	8 ft	25 ft
36	Sylvan Lake	Newaygo	16 ft	63 ft
37	White Lake	Oakland	13 ft	-
38	Scram Lake	Kent	12.5 ft	85 ft
39	Jordan Lake	Barry	7.5 ft	-
40	Round Lake	Lenawee	10 ft	-
41	Otter Lake	Oakland	10.3 ft	70 ft
42	Cedar Lake	Oakland	11 ft	-
43	Crooked Lake	Oakland	11.5 ft	60 ft
44	Bloomfield Lake	Oakland	3.5 ft	-
45	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	24.3 ft	88 ft
46	Long Lake	Benzie	9 ft	-
47	Baldwin Lake	Cass	9 ft	-
48	Long Lake	Cass	10.5 ft	42 ft
49	Diamond Lake	Newaygo	12.3 ft	25 ft
50	Baldwins Lake	Cass	8 ft	55 ft

Showing top 50 of 66 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michigan lakes have sand shiner?

Sand Shiner are found in 66 lakes in Michigan.

What are the best sand shiner lakes in Michigan?

The best sand shiner lakes in Michigan by water quality are Ore Lake, Rennie Lake, Derby Lake, Murray Lake, Big Star Lake.

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