shorthead redhorse Lakes in Minnesota & Wisconsin

Other SpeciesFound in 182 lakes

Rough fish like shorthead redhorse are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 182 Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. shorthead redhorse is moderately distributed — present in 182 Minnesota lakes and 0 Wisconsin lakes. Some counties have it, others do not, so checking the per-lake pages matters.

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 shorthead redhorse lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and shorthead redhorse documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

182

Total Lakes

182

Minnesota

Wisconsin

Avg. Grade

51 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of shorthead redhorse Lakes

28%

25%

19%

18%

10%

Best shorthead redhorse Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with shorthead redhorse ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	100 ft	21
2	Latoka Lake	Douglas	MN	A	108 ft	16
3	Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	138 ft	23
4	Cowdry Lake	Douglas	MN	A	52 ft	19
5	Ossawinnamakee Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	63 ft	18
6	Andrusia Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	60 ft	21
7	Lizzie Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	66 ft	21
8	Alexander Lake	Morrison	MN	A	64 ft	19
9	Big Trout Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	128 ft	20
10	Rush Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	105 ft	21
11	Thunder Lake	Cass	MN	A	95 ft	17
12	Smith Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	51 ft	12
13	Pig Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	56 ft	20
14	Burntside Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	126 ft	15
15	Sabin Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	52 ft	10
16	Bertha Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	64 ft	22
17	Carlos Lake	Douglas	MN	A	163 ft	21
18	Thunder Lake	Cass	MN	A	95 ft	17
19	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	100 ft	21
20	Whitewater Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	73 ft	15
21	Hen Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	105 ft	21
22	Ml-Thains Lake	Mille Lacs	MN	A	42 ft	21
23	Ml-Seventeen Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	42 ft	21
24	Ml Lake	Mille Lacs	MN	A	42 ft	21
25	Ml Lake	Mille Lacs	MN	A	42 ft	21
26	Ml-Vineland Lake	Mille Lacs	MN	A	42 ft	21
27	Ml-Peterson Lake	Mille Lacs	MN	A	42 ft	21
28	Ml-Malone Lake	Mille Lacs	MN	A	42 ft	21
29	Clearwater Lake	Clearwater	MN	A	65 ft	14
30	Washburn Lake	Cass	MN	A	111 ft	21
31	Eagle Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	77 ft	16
32	Darling Lake	Douglas	MN	A	62 ft	19
33	Little Pine Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	36 ft	18
34	Upper Gull Lake	Cass	MN	A	54 ft	20
35	Island Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	65 ft	16
36	Cedar Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	105 ft	22
37	Gull Lake	Cass	MN	A	80 ft	22
38	Inguadona Lake	Cass	MN	A	79 ft	20
39	Swan Lake	Itasca	MN	A	65 ft	17
40	Bemidji Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	76 ft	16
41	Broadwater Bay Lake	Cass	MN	A	54 ft	22
42	Potato Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	87 ft	15
43	Shamineau Lake	Morrison	MN	A	52 ft	18
44	Side Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	32 ft	15
45	Three Island Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	25 ft	17
46	Sturgeon Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	79.8 ft	15
47	Otter Tail Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	120 ft	17
48	Kitchi Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	50 ft	16
49	Louise Lake	Douglas	MN	A	33 ft	18
50	Lake Winnibigoshish	Cass	MN	A	69.8 ft	20

Showing top 50 of 182 lakes with shorthead redhorse.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have shorthead redhorse?

shorthead redhorse are found in 182 lakes across Minnesota and Wisconsin, 182 in Minnesota and 0 in Wisconsin. The average water quality grade of lakes with shorthead redhorse is C (Fair).

What are the best lakes for shorthead redhorse?

The best shorthead redhorse lakes by water quality are Lower Hay Lake, Latoka Lake, Whitefish Lake, Cowdry Lake, Ossawinnamakee Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where shorthead redhorse have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with shorthead redhorse?

shorthead redhorse are most commonly found alongside black crappie, northern pike, walleye, yellow perch, white sucker. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.