Western banded killifish Lakes in Minnesota & Wisconsin

Other SpeciesFound in 125 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. 125 lakes carry documentation. Western banded killifish is moderately distributed — present in 0 Minnesota lakes and 125 Wisconsin lakes. 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 LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Western banded killifish documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

125

Total Lakes

Minnesota

125

Wisconsin

Avg. Grade

Water Quality of Western banded killifish Lakes

33%

38%

18%

10%

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	Windover Lake South Basin; Freeman Township	Clare	MI	A	-	8
2	Corey Lake	St. Joseph	MI	A	-	13
3	Windover Lake	Clare	MI	A	-	8
4	Whitefish Lake Southeast Basin; Pierson Township	Montcalm	MI	A	-	21
5	Whitefish Lake	Montcalm	MI	A	-	21
6	Pickerel Lake	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	29
7	Big Twin Lake Southeast Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	9
8	Round Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	37
9	Cub Lake Central Basin	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	14
10	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	MI	A	-	40
11	Eagle Lake East Basin; Paw Paw Township	Van Buren	MI	A	-	12
12	Eagle Lake	Van Buren	MI	A	-	12
13	Round Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	37
14	Diamond Lake	Osceola	MI	A	-	25
15	Lower Herring Lake East Basin; Blaire Township	Benzie	MI	A	-	25
16	Silver Lake	Cheboygan	MI	A	-	15
17	Long Lake	Cheboygan	MI	A	-	40
18	Lime Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	15
19	Manistee Lake South	Manistee	MI	A	-	7
20	Susan Lake	Charlevoix	MI	A	-	12
21	Walloon Lake	Emmet	MI	A	-	20
22	Crooked Lake	Emmet	MI	A	-	26
23	Mack Lake; Mentor Township; Section 9	Oscoda	MI	A	-	6
24	Cordley Lake Central Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	MI	A	-	7
25	Loon Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	13
26	Silver Lake	Washtenaw	MI	A	-	15
27	Bass Lake	Leelanau	MI	A	-	13
28	Rennie Lake; Central Basin; East Bay Township	Grand Traverse	MI	A	-	9
29	Farewell Lake West Basin; Hanover Township	Jackson	MI	A	-	18
30	Pickerel Lake East Central Basin; Garfield Township Sec. 1	Newaygo	MI	A	-	21
31	Gun Lake Central Basin; Freesoil Township	Mason	MI	A	-	6
32	Barlow Lake Central Basin; Yankee Springs Township Sec6	Barry	MI	A	-	11
33	Long Lake; Lake Township; Section 31	Benzie	MI	A	-	40
34	Clear Lake East Basin; Waterloo Township	Jackson	MI	A	-	17
35	Fremont Lake North Central Basin;Sheridan Township Section 3	Newaygo	MI	A	-	23
36	North Crooked Lake South Central Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	MI	A	-	6
37	Fishers Lake North Central Basin; Park Township	St. Joseph	MI	A	-	8
38	Sand Lake Central Basin; Cambridge Township	Lenawee	MI	A	-	6
39	Round Lake Central Basin	Lenawee	MI	A	-	25
40	Loon Lake; Lake Twp	Benzie	MI	A	-	13
41	Au Sable Lake East Central Basin,Goodar Township	Ogemaw	MI	A	-	11
42	Middle Lake; Elba Township; Section 13	Lapeer	MI	B	-	20
43	Bass Lake	Lake	MI	B	-	7
44	Long Lake	Cass	MI	B	-	25
45	Silver Lake	Washtenaw	MI	B	-	15
46	Bass Lake	Montcalm	MI	B	-	13
47	Portage Lake South Basin; Dexter Township	Washtenaw	MI	B	-	26
48	Long Lake South Central Basin	Cass	MI	B	-	25
49	Rennie Lake	Grand Traverse	MI	B	-	9
50	Farewell Lake	Jackson	MI	B	-	18

Showing top 50 of 125 lakes with western banded killifish.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have western banded killifish?

Western banded killifish are found in 125 lakes across Minnesota and Wisconsin, 0 in Minnesota and 125 in Wisconsin. The average water quality grade of lakes with western banded killifish is B (Good).

What are the best lakes for western banded killifish?

The best western banded killifish lakes by water quality are Windover Lake South Basin; Freeman Township, Corey Lake, Windover Lake, Whitefish Lake Southeast Basin; Pierson Township, Whitefish 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 bluntnose minnow, yellow perch, bluegill, largemouth bass, iowa darter. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.