Spottail Shiner Lakes in Michigan

Found in 42 Michigan lakes

Spottail Shiner is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 42 lakes carry documentation. Spottail Shiner is narrowly distributed — only 42 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 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.

Michigan Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Spottail Shiner Lakes Map

Every Michigan lake with documented spottail shiner, colored by water-quality grade.

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Best Spottail Shiner Lakes in Michigan

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Upper Herring Lake; Central Basin; Blaine Township	Benzie	A	8 ft	-
2	Clear Lake East Basin; Waterloo Township	Jackson	A	10 ft	-
3	Round Lake	Benzie	A	15 ft	-
4	Otter Lake	Benzie	A	12 ft	-
5	Long Lake North Central Basin; Long Lake Township	Grand Traverse	A	23.8 ft	-
6	Higgins Lake Northwest Basin	Roscommon	A	34.5 ft	-
7	Beaver Lake Central Basin; Ossineke Township	Alpena	A	16 ft	-
8	Lower Herring Lake East Basin; Blaire Township	Benzie	A	16 ft	-
9	Round Lake Central Basin	Lenawee	A	12 ft	-
10	Lake Richie	Keweenaw	B	8.3 ft	-
11	Beaver Lake	Alger	B	14.7 ft	-
12	Beaver Lake	Keweenaw	B	8 ft	-
13	Tamarack Lake North Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	B	7 ft	-
14	Base Line Lake Northeast Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	B	10.5 ft	-
15	Crooked Lake	Emmet	B	-	-
16	Round Lake	Shiawassee	D	6 ft	-
17	Bear Lake East Basin; Pleasanton Township	Manistee	NR	11 ft	-
18	East Twin Lake	Montmorency	NR	9 ft	-
19	Clark Lake	Livingston	NR	12 ft	-
20	Round Lake	Mecosta	NR	8.5 ft	-
21	Union Lake	Branch	NR	3.5 ft	-
22	Round Lake	Shiawassee	NR	6.5 ft	-
23	Lake James	Roscommon	NR	6.8 ft	-
24	Upper Herring Lake	Benzie	NR	7.5 ft	-
25	Lake Margrethe	Crawford	NR	16 ft	-
26	Round Lake	Oakland	NR	10 ft	-
27	Gun Lake	Mason	NR	14 ft	-
28	Clear Lake	Jackson	NR	10 ft	-
29	Otter Lake	Oakland	NR	10 ft	-
30	Round Lake	Benzie	NR	15 ft	-
31	Crooked Lake	Barry	NR	10 ft	-
32	Otter Lake	Benzie	NR	12 ft	-
33	Diamond Lake	Osceola	NR	16 ft	-
34	Monocle Lake	Chippewa	NR	16 ft	-
35	Devils Lake	Lenawee	NR	10.8 ft	-
36	Burt Lake	Cheboygan	NR	15.5 ft	-
37	Lower Herring Lake	Benzie	NR	13.8 ft	-
38	Round Lake	Kent	NR	8 ft	-
39	Douglas Lake	Cheboygan	NR	12 ft	-
40	Douglas Lake	Otsego	NR	16.5 ft	-
41	Round Lake	Lenawee	NR	12.5 ft	-
42	Lake Whittlesey	Keweenaw	NR	11.6 ft	-

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michigan lakes have spottail shiner?

Spottail Shiner are found in 42 lakes in Michigan. The average water quality grade of these lakes is B (Good).

What are the best spottail shiner lakes in Michigan?

The best spottail shiner lakes in Michigan by water quality are Upper Herring Lake; Central Basin; Blaine Township, Clear Lake East Basin; Waterloo Township, Round Lake, Otter Lake, Long Lake North Central Basin; Long Lake Township.

Fish species from state agency survey, stocking, and public fishing-access records; water-quality grades from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys.