Sturgeon Lakes in Wisconsin

Found in 34 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. 34 lakes carry documentation. 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 letter grades: 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

Sturgeon Lakes Map

Every Wisconsin lake with documented sturgeon, colored by water-quality grade.

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Best Sturgeon Lakes in Wisconsin

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Lake St Croix	St. Croix	B	5.6 ft	60 ft
2	Mercer Lake	Iron	B	12 ft	24 ft
3	Big Mckenzie Lake	Washburn	B	10 ft	71 ft
4	Taylor Lake	Waupaca	B	10 ft	58 ft
5	Round Lake	Price	C	4 ft	24 ft
6	Chippewa Flowage Lake	Sawyer	C	6.9 ft	92 ft
7	Butternut Lake	Price	C	4 ft	32 ft
8	Shawano Lake	Shawano	C	5.9 ft	39.5 ft
9	Chippewa Flowage -North of Cranberry Bars Lake	Sawyer	C	4.9 ft	92 ft
10	Chippewa Flowage -Moore'S Bay Lake	Sawyer	C	4.1 ft	92 ft
11	Yellow Lake	Burnett	C	6 ft	31 ft
12	Chippewa Flowage -Pokegema Lake	Sawyer	C	5.8 ft	92 ft
13	Petenwell Flowage Lake	Juneau	D	2.3 ft	44 ft
14	Chippewa Flowage -Winter Dam Lake	Sawyer	D	4.4 ft	92 ft
15	Clam Lake	Burnett	D	3 ft	11 ft
16	Lake Wissota	Chippewa	D	3.5 ft	64.4 ft
17	Lake Mendota	Dane	D	5 ft	83 ft
18	Little Lake Butte des Morts	Winnebago	D	2 ft	18 ft
19	Round Lake	Waupaca	NR	-	67 ft
20	Lake Winneconne	Winnebago	NR	2.5 ft	9 ft
21	Lake Butte des Morts	Winnebago	NR	2.3 ft	9 ft
22	Dairyland Reservoir	Rusk	NR	1.4 ft	70 ft
23	Lake Poygan	Winnebago	NR	2.5 ft	11 ft
24	Lower Park Falls Flowage Lake	Price	NR	3.2 ft	16 ft
25	Benson Lake	Vilas	NR	10.6 ft	15 ft
26	Upper Park Falls Flowage Lake	Price	NR	3.5 ft	17 ft
27	Danbury Flowage Lake	Burnett	NR	6.2 ft	10 ft
28	Clam River Flowage Lake	Burnett	NR	2.2 ft	29 ft
29	Pixley Flowage Lake	Price	NR	2.8 ft	23 ft
30	Moon Bay Lake	Chippewa	NR	3.7 ft	64.4 ft
31	Turtle-Flambeau Flowage Lake	Iron	NR	4 ft	50 ft
32	Upper Clam Lake	Burnett	NR	2 ft	11 ft
33	Little Yellow Lake	Burnett	NR	-	21 ft
34	Trego Lake	Washburn	NR	-	36 ft

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Wisconsin lakes have sturgeon?

Sturgeon are found in 34 lakes in Wisconsin. The average water quality grade of these lakes is C (Fair).

What are the best sturgeon lakes in Wisconsin?

The best sturgeon lakes in Wisconsin by water quality are Lake St Croix, Mercer Lake, Big Mckenzie Lake, Taylor Lake, Round Lake.

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