Sturgeon Lakes in Minnesota & Wisconsin

Other SpeciesFound in 39 lakes

Rough fish like Sturgeon are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 39 Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Sturgeon is narrowly distributed — only 0 Minnesota lakes and 39 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 Sturgeon lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Sturgeon documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

Minnesota

Wisconsin

Avg. Grade

46 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Sturgeon Lakes

28%

36%

21%

13%

Best Sturgeon Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with sturgeon ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Round Lake	Waupaca	WI	A	67 ft	8
2	Mercer Lake	Iron	WI	A	24 ft	7
3	Big Mckenzie Lake	Washburn	WI	A	71 ft	7
4	Big Falls Flowage Lake	Rusk	WI	A	45 ft	8
5	Danbury Flowage Lake	Burnett	WI	A	-	8
6	Thornapple Flowage Lake	Rusk	WI	A	19 ft	8
7	Taylor Lake	Waupaca	WI	A	58 ft	6
8	Benson Lake	Vilas	WI	A	-	7
9	Trego Lake	Washburn	WI	A	36 ft	7
10	Shawano Lake	Shawano	WI	A	39.5 ft	6
11	Yellow Lake	Burnett	WI	A	31 ft	8
12	Chippewa Flowage Lake	Sawyer	WI	B	92 ft	8
13	Chippewa Flowage -Pokegema Lake	Sawyer	WI	B	92 ft	8
14	Round Lake	Price	WI	B	24 ft	6
15	Chippewa Flowage -North of Cranberry Bars Lake	Sawyer	WI	B	92 ft	8
16	Pixley Flowage Lake	Price	WI	B	23 ft	5
17	Lake Mendota	Dane	WI	B	83 ft	8
18	Lower Park Falls Flowage Lake	Price	WI	B	16 ft	5
19	Upper Park Falls Flowage Lake	Price	WI	B	17 ft	6
20	Moon Bay Lake	Chippewa	WI	B	64.4 ft	8
21	Turtle-Flambeau Flowage Lake	Iron	WI	B	50 ft	7
22	Chippewa Flowage -Winter Dam Lake	Sawyer	WI	B	92 ft	8
23	Chippewa Flowage -Moore'S Bay Lake	Sawyer	WI	B	92 ft	8
24	Lake St. Croix	St. Croix	WI	B	60 ft	7
25	Butternut Lake	Price	WI	B	32 ft	7
26	Lake Wissota	Chippewa	WI	C	64.4 ft	8
27	Lake Winneconne	Winnebago	WI	C	9 ft	8
28	Clam River Flowage Lake	Burnett	WI	C	29 ft	7
29	Lake Butte des Morts	Winnebago	WI	C	9 ft	8
30	Lake Poygan	Winnebago	WI	C	11 ft	8
31	St. Croix 8 Mi. Upstream of Point Douglas Dr Lake	Pierce	WI	C	60 ft	7
32	Clam Lake	Burnett	WI	C	11 ft	7
33	Petenwell Flowage Lake	Juneau	WI	C	44 ft	8
34	St. Croix Lake	St. Croix	WI	D	60 ft	7
35	St. Croix Lake	St. Croix	WI	D	60 ft	7
36	Dairyland Reservoir	Rusk	WI	D	70 ft	8
37	Upper Clam Lake	Burnett	WI	D	11 ft	7
38	Little Lake Butte des Morts	Winnebago	WI	D	18 ft	7
39	Little Yellow Lake	Burnett	WI	F	21 ft	8

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have sturgeon?

Sturgeon are found in 39 lakes across Minnesota and Wisconsin, 0 in Minnesota and 39 in Wisconsin. The average water quality grade of lakes with sturgeon is B (Good).

What are the best lakes for sturgeon?

The best sturgeon lakes by water quality are Round Lake, Mercer Lake, Big Mckenzie Lake, Big Falls Flowage Lake, Danbury Flowage Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where sturgeon have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with sturgeon?

Sturgeon are most commonly found alongside northern pike, walleye, panfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.