Spottail shiner Lakes in Michigan

Found in 43 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. 43 lakes carry documentation. Spottail shiner is narrowly distributed — only 43 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

Best Spottail shiner Lakes in Michigan

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Round Lake	Benzie	A	15 ft	-
2	Lake Margrethe	Crawford	A	16 ft	-
3	Long Lake North Central Basin; Long Lake Township	Grand Traverse	A	23.8 ft	-
4	Higgins Lake Northwest Basin	Roscommon	A	34.5 ft	-
5	Beaver Lake Central Basin; Ossineke Township	Alpena	A	16 ft	-
6	Round Lake	Benzie	A	15 ft	-
7	Diamond Lake	Osceola	A	16 ft	-
8	Monocle Lake	Chippewa	A	16 ft	-
9	Lower Herring Lake East Basin; Blaire Township	Benzie	A	16 ft	-
10	Burt Lake	Cheboygan	A	15.5 ft	-
11	Douglas Lake	Otsego	A	16.5 ft	-
12	Crooked Lake	Emmet	A	-	-
13	Beaver Lake	Alger	A	14.7 ft	-
14	Clear Lake East Basin; Waterloo Township	Jackson	A	10 ft	-
15	Otter Lake	Benzie	A	12 ft	-
16	Lower Hamlin Lake North Central Basin South of the Narrows	Mason	A	13.5 ft	-
17	Round Lake Central Basin	Lenawee	A	12 ft	-
18	Bear Lake East Basin; Pleasanton Township	Manistee	B	11 ft	-
19	Lake Richie	Keweenaw	B	8.3 ft	-
20	Beaver Lake	Keweenaw	B	8 ft	-
21	Clark Lake	Livingston	B	12 ft	-
22	Round Lake	Oakland	B	10 ft	-
23	Gun Lake	Mason	B	14 ft	-
24	Clear Lake	Jackson	B	10 ft	-
25	Base Line Lake Northeast Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	B	10.5 ft	-
26	Otter Lake	Oakland	B	10 ft	-
27	Crooked Lake	Barry	B	10 ft	-
28	Otter Lake	Benzie	B	12 ft	-
29	Devils Lake	Lenawee	B	10.8 ft	-
30	Lower Herring Lake	Benzie	B	13.8 ft	-
31	Douglas Lake	Cheboygan	B	12 ft	-
32	Round Lake	Lenawee	B	12.5 ft	-
33	Lake Whittlesey	Keweenaw	B	11.6 ft	-
34	Upper Herring Lake; Central Basin; Blaine Township	Benzie	B	8 ft	-
35	East Twin Lake	Montmorency	C	9 ft	-
36	Round Lake	Mecosta	C	8.5 ft	-
37	Tamarack Lake North Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	C	7 ft	-
38	Upper Herring Lake	Benzie	C	7.5 ft	-
39	Lake James	Roscommon	C	6.8 ft	-
40	Round Lake	Kent	C	8 ft	-
41	Round Lake	Shiawassee	C	6 ft	-
42	Union Lake	Branch	D	3.5 ft	-
43	Round Lake	Shiawassee	D	6.5 ft	-

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michigan lakes have spottail shiner?

Spottail shiner are found in 43 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 Round Lake, Lake Margrethe, Long Lake North Central Basin; Long Lake Township, Higgins Lake Northwest Basin, Beaver Lake Central Basin; Ossineke Township.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.