Sturgeon Lakes in Minnesota, Wisconsin & Michigan

Other SpeciesFound in 34 lakes

Rough fish like Sturgeon are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 34 Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Sturgeon is narrowly distributed — only 34 lakes in Wisconsin 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

Wisconsin lakes →

Avg. Grade

43 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Sturgeon Lakes

15%

26%

21%

29%

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have sturgeon?

Sturgeon are found in 34 graded lakes: 34 in Wisconsin. The average water quality grade of lakes with sturgeon is D (Poor).

What are the best lakes for sturgeon?

The best sturgeon lakes by water quality are Round Lake, Trego Lake, Mercer Lake, Big Mckenzie Lake, Taylor 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.

Other Fish Species in Sturgeon Lakes

Northern pike Lakes

Found together in 34 lakes · 99 total

Walleye Lakes

Found together in 34 lakes · 840 total

Panfish Lakes

Found together in 33 lakes · 1,148 total

Largemouth bass Lakes

Found together in 30 lakes · 172 total

Smallmouth bass Lakes

Found together in 30 lakes · 117 total

Musky Lakes

Found together in 29 lakes · 410 total

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.