Spottail shiner Lakes in Minnesota & Wisconsin

Other SpeciesFound in 44 lakes

Rough fish like Spottail shiner are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 44 Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Spottail shiner is narrowly distributed — only 0 Minnesota lakes and 44 Wisconsin lakes 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 Spottail shiner lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Spottail shiner documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

Minnesota

Wisconsin

Avg. Grade

Water Quality of Spottail shiner Lakes

39%

41%

16%

Best Spottail shiner Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with spottail shiner ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Round Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	37
2	Lake Margrethe	Crawford	MI	A	-	21
3	Long Lake North Central Basin; Long Lake Township	Grand Traverse	MI	A	-	10
4	Higgins Lake Northwest Basin	Roscommon	MI	A	-	12
5	Beaver Lake Central Basin; Ossineke Township	Alpena	MI	A	-	15
6	Round Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	37
7	Diamond Lake	Osceola	MI	A	-	25
8	Monocle Lake	Chippewa	MI	A	-	13
9	Lower Herring Lake East Basin; Blaire Township	Benzie	MI	A	-	25
10	Burt Lake	Cheboygan	MI	A	-	33
11	Douglas Lake	Otsego	MI	A	-	22
12	Crooked Lake	Emmet	MI	A	-	26
13	Beaver Lake	Alger	MI	A	-	14
14	Clear Lake East Basin; Waterloo Township	Jackson	MI	A	-	17
15	Lower Hamlin Lake North Central Basin South of the Narrows	Mason	MI	A	-	11
16	Otter Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	30
17	Round Lake Central Basin	Lenawee	MI	A	-	25
18	Bear Lake East Basin; Pleasanton Township	Manistee	MI	B	-	4
19	Lake Richie	Keweenaw	MI	B	-	11
20	Beaver Lake	Keweenaw	MI	B	-	16
21	Clark Lake	Livingston	MI	B	-	20
22	Round Lake; Independence Township; Section 2	Oakland	MI	B	-	37
23	Round Lake	Oakland	MI	B	-	37
24	Gun Lake	Mason	MI	B	-	17
25	Clear Lake	Jackson	MI	B	-	16
26	Base Line Lake Northeast Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	MI	B	-	16
27	Otter Lake	Oakland	MI	B	-	30
28	Crooked Lake	Barry	MI	B	-	27
29	Otter Lake	Benzie	MI	B	-	30
30	Devils Lake	Lenawee	MI	B	-	27
31	Lower Herring Lake	Benzie	MI	B	-	25
32	Douglas Lake	Cheboygan	MI	B	-	22
33	Round Lake	Lenawee	MI	B	-	23
34	Lake Whittlesey	Keweenaw	MI	B	-	8
35	Upper Herring Lake; Central Basin; Blaine Township	Benzie	MI	B	-	18
36	East Twin Lake	Montmorency	MI	C	-	7
37	Round Lake	Mecosta	MI	C	-	37
38	Tamarack Lake North Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	MI	C	-	20
39	Lake James	Roscommon	MI	C	-	12
40	Upper Herring Lake	Benzie	MI	C	-	18
41	Round Lake	Kent	MI	C	-	37
42	Round Lake	Shiawassee	MI	C	-	37
43	Union Lake	Branch	MI	D	-	22
44	Round Lake	Shiawassee	MI	D	-	37

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have spottail shiner?

Spottail shiner are found in 44 lakes across Minnesota and Wisconsin, 0 in Minnesota and 44 in Wisconsin. The average water quality grade of lakes with spottail shiner is B (Good).

What are the best lakes for spottail shiner?

The best spottail shiner lakes by water quality are Round Lake, Lake Margrethe, Long Lake North Central Basin; Long Lake Township, Higgins Lake Northwest Basin, Beaver Lake Central Basin; Ossineke Township. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where spottail shiner have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with spottail shiner?

Spottail shiner are most commonly found alongside yellow perch, rock bass, bluntnose minnow, johnny darter, smallmouth bass. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.