Western Banded Killifish Lakes in Michigan

Found in 114 Michigan lakes

Rough fish like Western Banded Killifish are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 114 Michigan lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Western Banded Killifish is moderately distributed — 114 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 LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Western Banded Killifish documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

114

Michigan Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Western Banded Killifish Lakes Map

Every Michigan lake with documented western banded killifish, colored by water-quality grade.

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Best Western Banded Killifish Lakes in Michigan

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Windover Lake South Basin; Freeman Township	Clare	A	15 ft	-
2	Big Star Lake Central Basin; Lake Township	Lake	A	8 ft	-
3	Silver Lake	Washtenaw	A	11.5 ft	-
4	Rennie Lake; Central Basin; East Bay Township	Grand Traverse	A	13 ft	-
5	Long Lake South Central Basin	Cass	A	10.5 ft	-
6	Farewell Lake West Basin; Hanover Township	Jackson	A	11.8 ft	-
7	Kimball Lake Central Basin; Garfield Township	Newaygo	A	4.5 ft	-
8	Gun Lake Central Basin; Freesoil Township	Mason	A	14 ft	-
9	Upper Herring Lake; Central Basin; Blaine Township	Benzie	A	8 ft	-
10	Whitefish Lake Southeast Basin; Pierson Township	Montcalm	A	16 ft	-
11	Murray Lake East Basin; Grattan Township	Kent	A	7.2 ft	-
12	Clear Lake East Basin; Waterloo Township	Jackson	A	10 ft	-
13	Big Twin Lake Southeast Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	A	23 ft	-
14	Round Lake	Benzie	A	15 ft	-
15	Cub Lake Central Basin	Kalkaska	A	19 ft	-
16	North Crooked Lake South Central Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	A	13.5 ft	-
17	Emerald Lake	Kent	A	12 ft	-
18	Fishers Lake North Central Basin; Park Township	St. Joseph	A	10.5 ft	-
19	Grass Lake	Gladwin	A	4 ft	-
20	Sand Lake Central Basin; Cambridge Township	Lenawee	A	13.5 ft	-
21	Eagle Lake East Basin; Paw Paw Township	Van Buren	A	17 ft	-
22	Wakeley Lake; Central Basin; Grayling Township	Crawford	A	6.5 ft	-
23	Lower Herring Lake East Basin; Blaire Township	Benzie	A	16 ft	-
24	Round Lake Central Basin	Lenawee	A	12 ft	-
25	Loon Lake; Lake Twp	Benzie	A	12 ft	-
26	Lime Lake	Benzie	A	17.5 ft	-
27	Long Lake	Gogebic	A	12 ft	-
28	Manistee Lake South	Manistee	A	-	-
29	Cordley Lake Central Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	A	-	-
30	Loon Lake	Benzie	B	12.1 ft	-
31	Bass Lake	Leelanau	B	11.2 ft	-
32	Portage Lake South Basin; Dexter Township	Washtenaw	B	13 ft	-
33	Tamarack Lake North Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	B	7 ft	-
34	Fox Lake	Charlevoix	B	5 ft	-
35	Base Line Lake Northeast Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	B	10.5 ft	-
36	Barneys Lake	Charlevoix	B	10 ft	-
37	Crooked Lake	Emmet	B	-	-
38	Rose Lake	Shiawassee	D	5 ft	-
39	Round Lake	Shiawassee	D	6 ft	-
40	Fox Lake Central Basin; Dalton Township	Muskegon	D	1 ft	-
41	Kimball Lake	Newaygo	NR	4.5 ft	-
42	Bass Lake	Lake	NR	14 ft	-
43	Long Lake	Cass	NR	10.5 ft	-
44	Corey Lake	St. Joseph	NR	16 ft	-
45	Silver Lake	Washtenaw	NR	11.5 ft	-
46	Bass Lake	Montcalm	NR	10.8 ft	-
47	Windover Lake	Clare	NR	15 ft	-
48	Middle Lake	Lapeer	NR	9 ft	-
49	Big Star Lake	Lake	NR	8 ft	-
50	Rennie Lake	Grand Traverse	NR	13 ft	-

Showing top 50 of 114 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michigan lakes have western banded killifish?

Western Banded Killifish are found in 114 lakes in Michigan. The average water quality grade of these lakes is A (Excellent).

What are the best western banded killifish lakes in Michigan?

The best western banded killifish lakes in Michigan by water quality are Windover Lake South Basin; Freeman Township, Big Star Lake Central Basin; Lake Township, Silver Lake, Rennie Lake; Central Basin; East Bay Township, Long Lake South Central Basin.

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