Sturgeon Lakes in Wisconsin

Found in 39 Wisconsin lakes

Sturgeon is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 39 lakes carry documentation. 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.

Wisconsin Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Sturgeon Lakes in Wisconsin

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Round Lake	Waupaca	A	49.2 ft	67 ft
2	Mercer Lake	Iron	A	39 ft	24 ft
3	Big Mckenzie Lake	Washburn	A	33.6 ft	71 ft
4	Big Falls Flowage Lake	Rusk	A	15.6 ft	45 ft
5	Danbury Flowage Lake	Burnett	A	25.1 ft	-
6	Thornapple Flowage Lake	Rusk	A	18 ft	19 ft
7	Taylor Lake	Waupaca	A	32.8 ft	58 ft
8	Benson Lake	Vilas	A	34.9 ft	-
9	Trego Lake	Washburn	A	-	36 ft
10	Shawano Lake	Shawano	A	19.4 ft	39.5 ft
11	Yellow Lake	Burnett	A	19.7 ft	31 ft
12	Chippewa Flowage Lake	Sawyer	B	23.6 ft	92 ft
13	Chippewa Flowage -Pokegema Lake	Sawyer	B	19 ft	92 ft
14	Round Lake	Price	B	11.5 ft	24 ft
15	Chippewa Flowage -North of Cranberry Bars Lake	Sawyer	B	15.9 ft	92 ft
16	Pixley Flowage Lake	Price	B	11.3 ft	23 ft
17	Lake Mendota	Dane	B	18 ft	83 ft
18	Lower Park Falls Flowage Lake	Price	B	10.5 ft	16 ft
19	Upper Park Falls Flowage Lake	Price	B	12.8 ft	17 ft
20	Moon Bay Lake	Chippewa	B	12.3 ft	64.4 ft
21	Turtle-Flambeau Flowage Lake	Iron	B	13.1 ft	50 ft
22	Chippewa Flowage -Winter Dam Lake	Sawyer	B	14.3 ft	92 ft
23	Chippewa Flowage -Moore'S Bay Lake	Sawyer	B	13.6 ft	92 ft
24	Lake St. Croix	St. Croix	B	5.6 ft	60 ft
25	Butternut Lake	Price	B	13.1 ft	32 ft
26	Lake Wissota	Chippewa	C	11.5 ft	64.4 ft
27	Lake Winneconne	Winnebago	C	7.4 ft	9 ft
28	Clam River Flowage Lake	Burnett	C	7.2 ft	29 ft
29	Lake Butte des Morts	Winnebago	C	7.6 ft	9 ft
30	Lake Poygan	Winnebago	C	8.2 ft	11 ft
31	St. Croix 8 Mi. Upstream of Point Douglas Dr Lake	Pierce	C	8.9 ft	60 ft
32	Clam Lake	Burnett	C	9.8 ft	11 ft
33	Petenwell Flowage Lake	Juneau	C	7.8 ft	44 ft
34	St. Croix Lake	St. Croix	D	5.1 ft	60 ft
35	St. Croix Lake	St. Croix	D	4.4 ft	60 ft
36	Dairyland Reservoir	Rusk	D	4.5 ft	70 ft
37	Upper Clam Lake	Burnett	D	6.6 ft	11 ft
38	Little Lake Butte des Morts	Winnebago	D	6.6 ft	18 ft
39	Little Yellow Lake	Burnett	F	-	21 ft

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Wisconsin lakes have sturgeon?

Sturgeon are found in 39 lakes in Wisconsin. The average water quality grade of these lakes is B (Good).

What are the best sturgeon lakes in Wisconsin?

The best sturgeon lakes in Wisconsin by water quality are Round Lake, Mercer Lake, Big Mckenzie Lake, Big Falls Flowage Lake, Danbury Flowage Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.