Western Banded Killifish Fishing Guide, 100 Best-Graded Lakes

Western Banded Killifish is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 100 lakes carry documentation. Western Banded Killifish is moderately distributed — 100 lakes in Michigan. Some counties have it, others do not, so checking the per-lake pages matters.

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 Western Banded Killifish lake list below against the letter grades: lakes with both an A or B grade and Western Banded Killifish documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

100

Total Lakes

100

Michigan lakes →

Avg. Grade

45 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Western Banded Killifish Lakes

18%

Best Western Banded Killifish Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with western banded killifish ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Rennie Lake	Grand Traverse	MI	A	27 ft	9
2	Emerald Lake	Kent	MI	A	-	15
3	Hanbury Lake	Dickinson	MI	A	-	17
4	Murray Lake	Kent	MI	A	-	29
5	Clear Lake	Jackson	MI	A	34 ft	17
6	Big Star Lake	Lake	MI	A	-	18
7	Round Lake	Lenawee	MI	A	67 ft	25
8	Big Twin Lake	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	9
9	Sylvan Lake	Oakland	MI	A	-	14
10	Whitefish Lake	Montcalm	MI	A	-	21
11	Gun Lake	Mason	MI	A	22 ft	6
12	Round Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	37
13	Loon Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	13
14	Au Sable Lake	Ogemaw	MI	A	52 ft	11
15	Lime Lake	Benzie	MI	A	25 ft	15
16	Manistee Lake South	Manistee	MI	A	-	7
17	Crooked Lake	Emmet	MI	A	50 ft	26
18	Cordley Lake	Livingston	MI	A	31 ft	7
19	Tamarack Lake	Livingston	MI	B	34 ft	20
20	Bass Lake	Leelanau	MI	B	-	13
21	Pleasant Lake	Oakland	MI	B	-	11
22	Walloon Lake	Emmet	MI	B	-	20
23	Upper Hamlin Lake	Mason	MI	C	-	6
24	Round Lake	Shiawassee	MI	D	-	37
25	Lower Herring Lake	Benzie	MI	NR	50 ft	25
26	Silver Lake	Cheboygan	MI	NR	-	15
27	Lake Bellaire	Antrim	MI	NR	95 ft	22
28	Crooked Lake	Barry	MI	NR	-	27
29	Long Lake	Gogebic	MI	NR	60 ft	40
30	Hanbury Lake	Dickinson	MI	NR	-	17
31	Corey Lake	St. Joseph	MI	NR	-	13
32	Pleasant Lake	Wexford	MI	NR	10 ft	11
33	Silver Lake	Van Buren	MI	NR	-	15
34	Fishers Lake	St. Joseph	MI	NR	42 ft	8
35	Clear Lake	Ogemaw	MI	NR	50 ft	16
36	North Crooked Lake	Kalkaska	MI	NR	-	6
37	Clark Lake	Jackson	MI	NR	50 ft	19
38	Lake Fenton	Genesee	MI	NR	90 ft	22
39	Emerald Lake	Newaygo	MI	NR	49 ft	15
40	Eagle Lake	Cass	MI	NR	35 ft	22
41	Cedar Lake	Alcona	MI	NR	10 ft	22
42	Windover Lake	Clare	MI	NR	60 ft	8
43	Farewell Lake	Jackson	MI	NR	43 ft	18
44	Barlow Lake	Barry	MI	NR	60 ft	10
45	Harwood Lake	Cass	MI	NR	50 ft	11
46	Pickerel Lake	Kalkaska	MI	NR	72 ft	29
47	Silver Lake	Cheboygan	MI	NR	-	15
48	Eagle Lake	Allegan	MI	NR	-	30
49	Cedar Lake	Iosco	MI	NR	-	20
50	Resort Lake	Menominee	MI	NR	41 ft	19

Showing top 50 of 100 lakes with western banded killifish.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have western banded killifish?

Western Banded Killifish are found in 100 graded lakes: 100 in Michigan. The average water quality grade of lakes with western banded killifish is A (Excellent).

What are the best lakes for western banded killifish?

The best western banded killifish lakes by water quality are Rennie Lake, Emerald Lake, Hanbury Lake, Murray Lake, Clear Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where western banded killifish have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with western banded killifish?

Western Banded Killifish are most commonly found alongside western banded killifish, bluntnose minnow, bluegill, yellow perch, largemouth bass. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Western Banded Killifish Lakes

Bluntnose Minnow Lakes

Found together in 94 lakes · 160 total

Bluegill Lakes

Found together in 85 lakes · 1,550 total

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 84 lakes · 1,577 total

Largemouth Bass Lakes

Found together in 75 lakes · 2,489 total

Iowa Darter Lakes

Found together in 67 lakes · 126 total

Pumpkinseed Lakes

Found together in 66 lakes · 1,328 total

Fish species from state agency survey, stocking, and public fishing-access records; water-quality grades from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys. Species profiles are general reference; always check current state regulations before fishing.