Western banded killifish Lakes in Michigan

Found in 116 Michigan lakes

Rough fish like Western banded killifish are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 116 Michigan lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Western banded killifish is moderately distributed — 116 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.

116

Michigan Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

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	Corey Lake	St. Joseph	A	16 ft	-
3	Windover Lake	Clare	A	15 ft	-
4	Whitefish Lake Southeast Basin; Pierson Township	Montcalm	A	16 ft	-
5	Whitefish Lake	Montcalm	A	16.8 ft	-
6	Big Twin Lake Southeast Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	A	23 ft	-
7	Cub Lake Central Basin	Kalkaska	A	19 ft	-
8	Pickerel Lake	Kalkaska	A	15 ft	-
9	Round Lake	Benzie	A	15 ft	-
10	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	A	24 ft	-
11	Eagle Lake East Basin; Paw Paw Township	Van Buren	A	17 ft	-
12	Eagle Lake	Van Buren	A	15 ft	-
13	Round Lake	Benzie	A	15 ft	-
14	Diamond Lake	Osceola	A	16 ft	-
15	Lower Herring Lake East Basin; Blaire Township	Benzie	A	16 ft	-
16	Silver Lake	Cheboygan	A	32 ft	-
17	Long Lake	Cheboygan	A	18 ft	-
18	Lime Lake	Benzie	A	17.5 ft	-
19	Manistee Lake South	Manistee	A	-	-
20	Susan Lake	Charlevoix	A	-	-
21	Walloon Lake	Emmet	A	-	-
22	Crooked Lake	Emmet	A	-	-
23	Cordley Lake Central Basin; Hamburg Township	Livingston	A	-	-
24	Loon Lake	Benzie	A	12.1 ft	-
25	Silver Lake	Washtenaw	A	11.5 ft	-
26	Bass Lake	Leelanau	A	11.2 ft	-
27	Rennie Lake; Central Basin; East Bay Township	Grand Traverse	A	13 ft	-
28	Farewell Lake West Basin; Hanover Township	Jackson	A	11.8 ft	-
29	Gun Lake Central Basin; Freesoil Township	Mason	A	14 ft	-
30	Clear Lake East Basin; Waterloo Township	Jackson	A	10 ft	-
31	North Crooked Lake South Central Basin; Blue Lake Township	Kalkaska	A	13.5 ft	-
32	Fishers Lake North Central Basin; Park Township	St. Joseph	A	10.5 ft	-
33	Sand Lake Central Basin; Cambridge Township	Lenawee	A	13.5 ft	-
34	Round Lake Central Basin	Lenawee	A	12 ft	-
35	Loon Lake; Lake Twp	Benzie	A	12 ft	-
36	Au Sable Lake East Central Basin,Goodar Township	Ogemaw	A	10.5 ft	-
37	Long Lake	Cass	B	10.5 ft	-
38	Bass Lake	Lake	B	14 ft	-
39	Silver Lake	Washtenaw	B	11.5 ft	-
40	Bass Lake	Montcalm	B	10.8 ft	-
41	Portage Lake South Basin; Dexter Township	Washtenaw	B	13 ft	-
42	Long Lake South Central Basin	Cass	B	10.5 ft	-
43	Rennie Lake	Grand Traverse	B	13 ft	-
44	Farewell Lake	Jackson	B	11.5 ft	-
45	Clark Lake	Livingston	B	12 ft	-
46	Sylvan Lake	Newaygo	B	13.5 ft	-
47	Murray Lake East Basin; Grattan Township	Kent	B	7.2 ft	-
48	Long Lake	Gogebic	B	11.5 ft	-
49	Eagle Lake	Allegan	B	14 ft	-
50	Barlow Lake	Barry	B	11 ft	-

Showing top 50 of 116 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michigan lakes have western banded killifish?

Western banded killifish are found in 116 lakes in Michigan. The average water quality grade of these lakes is B (Good).

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, Corey Lake, Windover Lake, Whitefish Lake Southeast Basin; Pierson Township, Whitefish Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.