shorthead redhorse Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 182 Minnesota lakes

shorthead redhorse is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 182 lakes carry documentation. 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

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best shorthead redhorse Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	A	19 ft	100 ft
2	Latoka Lake	Douglas	A	19 ft	108 ft
3	Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	A	15.1 ft	138 ft
4	Cowdry Lake	Douglas	A	17 ft	52 ft
5	Ossawinnamakee Lake	Crow Wing	A	20 ft	63 ft
6	Andrusia Lake	Beltrami	A	15.5 ft	60 ft
7	Lizzie Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.4 ft	66 ft
8	Alexander Lake	Morrison	A	16.5 ft	64 ft
9	Big Trout Lake	Crow Wing	A	16.4 ft	128 ft
10	Rush Lake	Crow Wing	A	18 ft	105 ft
11	Thunder Lake	Cass	A	16.4 ft	95 ft
12	Smith Lake	St. Louis	A	15 ft	51 ft
13	Pig Lake	Crow Wing	A	17.5 ft	56 ft
14	Burntside Lake	St. Louis	A	16 ft	126 ft
15	Sabin Lake	St. Louis	A	35 ft	52 ft
16	Bertha Lake	Crow Wing	A	17.2 ft	64 ft
17	Carlos Lake	Douglas	A	17.2 ft	163 ft
18	Thunder Lake	Cass	A	20 ft	95 ft
19	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	A	20 ft	100 ft
20	Whitewater Lake	St. Louis	A	15.4 ft	73 ft
21	Hen Lake	Crow Wing	A	17.6 ft	105 ft
22	Ml-Thains Lake	Mille Lacs	A	16.1 ft	42 ft
23	Ml-Seventeen Lake	Aitkin	A	18.8 ft	42 ft
24	Ml Lake	Mille Lacs	A	20.2 ft	42 ft
25	Ml Lake	Mille Lacs	A	22.2 ft	42 ft
26	Ml-Vineland Lake	Mille Lacs	A	25.6 ft	42 ft
27	Ml-Peterson Lake	Mille Lacs	A	20.2 ft	42 ft
28	Ml-Malone Lake	Mille Lacs	A	17.5 ft	42 ft
29	Clearwater Lake	Clearwater	A	10.3 ft	65 ft
30	Washburn Lake	Cass	A	14 ft	111 ft
31	Eagle Lake	Hubbard	A	11.3 ft	77 ft
32	Darling Lake	Douglas	A	14.7 ft	62 ft
33	Little Pine Lake	Crow Wing	A	10.2 ft	36 ft
34	Upper Gull Lake	Cass	A	10 ft	54 ft
35	Island Lake	Hubbard	A	10.5 ft	65 ft
36	Cedar Lake	Aitkin	A	11 ft	105 ft
37	Gull Lake	Cass	A	14.5 ft	80 ft
38	Inguadona Lake	Cass	A	12.1 ft	79 ft
39	Swan Lake	Itasca	A	13.5 ft	65 ft
40	Bemidji Lake	Beltrami	A	12.5 ft	76 ft
41	Broadwater Bay Lake	Cass	A	14.5 ft	54 ft
42	Potato Lake	Hubbard	A	12 ft	87 ft
43	Shamineau Lake	Morrison	A	12.5 ft	52 ft
44	Side Lake	St. Louis	A	11 ft	32 ft
45	Three Island Lake	Beltrami	A	12 ft	25 ft
46	Sturgeon Lake	St. Louis	A	13.8 ft	79.8 ft
47	Otter Tail Lake	Otter Tail	A	12.1 ft	120 ft
48	Kitchi Lake	Beltrami	A	10.5 ft	50 ft
49	Louise Lake	Douglas	A	14.5 ft	33 ft
50	Lake Winnibigoshish	Cass	A	16 ft	69.8 ft

Showing top 50 of 182 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have shorthead redhorse?

shorthead redhorse are found in 182 lakes in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is C (Fair).

What are the best shorthead redhorse lakes in Minnesota?

The best shorthead redhorse lakes in Minnesota by water quality are Lower Hay Lake, Latoka Lake, Whitefish Lake, Cowdry Lake, Ossawinnamakee Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.