Silver redhorse Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 61 Minnesota lakes · 5 in Michigan

Silver redhorse is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 5 lakes carry documentation. Silver redhorse is narrowly distributed — only 5 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 Silver redhorse lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Silver redhorse documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Silver redhorse Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	A	18.5 ft	100 ft
2	Pokegama Lake	Itasca	A	16.1 ft	112 ft
3	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	A	19.5 ft	100 ft
4	Pokegama Lake	Itasca	A	17.5 ft	112 ft
5	Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	A	14.4 ft	138 ft
6	Cedar Lake	Aitkin	A	11.1 ft	105 ft
7	Clearwater Lake	Clearwater	A	10 ft	65 ft
8	Swan Lake	Itasca	A	13.5 ft	65 ft
9	Side Lake	St. Louis	A	11.5 ft	32 ft
10	Sturgeon Lake	St. Louis	A	13.8 ft	79.8 ft
11	Tamarack Bay Lake	Cass	A	11.5 ft	69.8 ft
12	Wright Lake	Otter Tail	B	13.7 ft	32 ft
13	Lake Winnibigoshish	Cass	B	12.1 ft	69.8 ft
14	Lake St. Croix	Washington	B	5.2 ft	78 ft
15	Arrowhead Lake	Crow Wing	B	6.9 ft	13 ft
16	Clearwater Lake	Wright	B	9.8 ft	73 ft
17	Wall Lake	Otter Tail	B	8.7 ft	34 ft
18	Upper Twin Lake	Hubbard	B	6.9 ft	12 ft
19	Little Sand Lake	Itasca	B	8.2 ft	19 ft
20	Daggett Lake	Crow Wing	B	8.7 ft	23 ft
21	West Sturgeon Lake	Itasca	B	4.1 ft	31 ft
22	Third River Flowage Lake	Itasca	B	6.9 ft	69.8 ft
23	Big Sandy Lake	Aitkin	C	4.5 ft	84 ft
24	Split Hand Lake	Itasca	C	6 ft	34 ft
25	Lower Twin Lake	Wadena	C	6.9 ft	26 ft
26	Little Split Hand Lake	Itasca	C	9 ft	25 ft
27	Ripple Lake	Aitkin	C	4.5 ft	39 ft
28	Little Sturgeon Lake	St. Louis	C	4.8 ft	22 ft
29	Bowstring Lake	Itasca	C	8 ft	32 ft
30	St. Croix Lake	Washington	C	8.7 ft	78 ft
31	Charley Lake	Ramsey	C	4.6 ft	21 ft
32	Pool of Lake St. Croix	Washington	C	4.3 ft	78 ft
33	Pool on Lake St. Croix	Washington	C	5.9 ft	78 ft
34	First Crow Wing Lake	Hubbard	C	5.9 ft	15 ft
35	Bolfing Lake	Stearns	C	6.3 ft	36 ft
36	Cokato Lake	Wright	D	6 ft	52 ft
37	Zumbro Lake	Olmsted	D	4 ft	43 ft
38	Eddy Lake	Carlton	D	3.5 ft	37 ft
39	Pickerel Lake	Dakota	D	3.5 ft	11 ft
40	Hanging Kettle Lake	Aitkin	D	6.5 ft	35 ft
41	Cedar Island Lake	Stearns	D	3.5 ft	75 ft
42	North Brown'S Lake	Stearns	D	4 ft	41 ft
43	Great Northern Lake	Stearns	D	4.5 ft	16.2 ft
44	Moosehead Lake	Carlton	D	4 ft	18 ft
45	Becker Lake	Stearns	D	5.7 ft	20 ft
46	Hanging Horn Lake	Carlton	D	6.5 ft	80 ft
47	Upper Estuary Lake	St. Louis	D	1.9 ft	55 ft
48	Horseshoe Lake	Stearns	D	4 ft	57 ft
49	Big Swan Lake	Meeker	D	2.6 ft	32 ft
50	Krays Lake	Stearns	D	3.5 ft	40 ft

Showing top 50 of 61 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have silver redhorse?

Silver redhorse are found in 61 lakes in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is C (Fair).

What are the best silver redhorse lakes in Minnesota?

The best silver redhorse lakes in Minnesota by water quality are Lower Hay Lake, Pokegama Lake, Lower Hay Lake, Pokegama Lake, Whitefish Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.