Smallmouth bass Lakes in Wisconsin

Found in 409 Wisconsin lakes · 117 in Michigan

Smallmouth bass is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 117 lakes carry documentation. Smallmouth bass is moderately distributed — 117 lakes in Michigan. 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 Smallmouth bass lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Smallmouth bass documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

409

Wisconsin Lakes

Avg. Grade

169

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Smallmouth bass Lakes in Wisconsin

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Geneva Lake	Walworth	A	20.2 ft	135 ft
2	White Sand Lake Deep	Vilas	A	18 ft	63 ft
3	Lake Lucerne	Forest	A	18.5 ft	73 ft
4	Lake Metonga	Forest	A	22 ft	79 ft
5	Round Lake	Sawyer	A	21.1 ft	74 ft
6	Round Lake	Waupaca	A	17.5 ft	67 ft
7	Clear Lake	Oneida	A	-	95 ft
8	Razorback Lake	Vilas	A	15.2 ft	35 ft
9	Little Spider Lake	Vilas	A	16 ft	23 ft
10	North Lake	Florence	A	15 ft	43 ft
11	Carlin Lake	Vilas	A	21 ft	36 ft
12	Butternut Lake	Forest	A	19.5 ft	42 ft
13	Papoose Lake	Vilas	A	15 ft	65 ft
14	Eagle Lake	Bayfield	A	17 ft	52 ft
15	Stone Lake	Washburn	A	23 ft	49 ft
16	Paya Lake	Oconto	A	20 ft	40 ft
17	Big Lake	Vilas	A	-	30 ft
18	Upper Kaubashine Lake	Oneida	A	19 ft	56 ft
19	Squash Lake	Oneida	A	17.4 ft	74 ft
20	Plummer Lake	Vilas	A	18 ft	85 ft
21	Big Crawling Stone Deep Lake	Vilas	A	17 ft	87 ft
22	Shell Lake	Washburn	A	16 ft	36 ft
23	Alva Lake	Oneida	A	19.5 ft	43 ft
24	Franklin Lake	Forest	A	16 ft	46 ft
25	Franklin Lake	Oneida	A	16.2 ft	25 ft
26	Big Portage Lake	Vilas	A	18.5 ft	40 ft
27	Crystal Lake	Bayfield	A	16.2 ft	29 ft
28	White Birch Lake	Vilas	A	16 ft	27 ft
29	Forest Lake	Vilas	A	22.2 ft	60 ft
30	Sea Lion Lake	Florence	A	21 ft	82 ft
31	Upper Eau Claire Lake	Bayfield	A	18.7 ft	92 ft
32	Blueberry Lake	Sawyer	A	14.9 ft	29 ft
33	Sunset Lake	Vilas	A	17.5 ft	30 ft
34	Hasbrook Lake	Oneida	A	21 ft	50 ft
35	Little Round Lake	Sawyer	A	17.3 ft	38 ft
36	Black Oak Lake	Vilas	A	28.5 ft	85 ft
37	Spring Lake	Waukesha	A	-	22 ft
38	Lower Eau Claire Lake	Bayfield	A	18.5 ft	41 ft
39	Osprey Lake	Sawyer	A	16 ft	32 ft
40	Pine Lake	Waukesha	A	25 ft	85 ft
41	Blue Lake	Oneida	A	23 ft	49 ft
42	Presque Isle Lake	Vilas	A	18 ft	103 ft
43	Katinka Lake	Vilas	A	18 ft	60 ft
44	Lee Lake	Oneida	A	22.5 ft	44 ft
45	Carlin Lake	Vilas	A	24 ft	36 ft
46	Crawling Stone Lake	Vilas	A	16 ft	87 ft
47	Little Crawling Stone Lake	Vilas	A	15 ft	44 ft
48	Grindstone Lake	Sawyer	A	17.4 ft	60 ft
49	Dorothy Lake	Oneida	A	17 ft	35 ft
50	Hart Lake	Bayfield	A	21.5 ft	54 ft

Showing top 50 of 409 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Wisconsin lakes have smallmouth bass?

Smallmouth bass are found in 409 lakes in Wisconsin. The average water quality grade of these lakes is B (Good).

What are the best smallmouth bass lakes in Wisconsin?

The best smallmouth bass lakes in Wisconsin by water quality are Geneva Lake, White Sand Lake Deep, Lake Lucerne, Lake Metonga, Round Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.