Western Banded Killifish Lakes in Michigan, 100 Lakes

Rough fish like Western Banded Killifish are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 100 Michigan lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. 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 phosphorus and chlorophyll-a readings 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 each lake's clarity, phosphorus and algae readings: lakes with low nutrient readings and Western Banded Killifish documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

100

Michigan Lakes

Counties

Western Banded Killifish Lakes Map

Every Michigan lake with documented western banded killifish.

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Best Western Banded Killifish Lakes in Michigan

Rank	Lake	County	Clarity	Depth
1	Rennie Lake	Grand Traverse	14 ft	27 ft
2	Emerald Lake	Kent	11.5 ft	-
3	Hanbury Lake	Dickinson	14 ft	-
4	Murray Lake	Kent	9 ft	-
5	Clear Lake	Jackson	10.5 ft	34 ft
6	Big Star Lake	Lake	9 ft	-
7	Round Lake	Lenawee	12.3 ft	67 ft
8	Big Twin Lake	Kalkaska	23 ft	-
9	Sylvan Lake	Oakland	10.3 ft	-
10	Whitefish Lake	Montcalm	13.5 ft	-
11	Gun Lake	Mason	14 ft	22 ft
12	Round Lake	Benzie	15 ft	-
13	Loon Lake	Benzie	12 ft	-
14	Au Sable Lake	Ogemaw	10.5 ft	52 ft
15	Lime Lake	Benzie	17.5 ft	25 ft
16	Manistee Lake South	Manistee	-	-
17	Crooked Lake	Emmet	-	50 ft
18	Cordley Lake	Livingston	-	31 ft
19	Tamarack Lake	Livingston	7 ft	34 ft
20	Bass Lake	Leelanau	11.2 ft	-
21	Pleasant Lake	Oakland	10 ft	-
22	Walloon Lake	Emmet	-	-
23	Upper Hamlin Lake	Mason	6 ft	-
24	Round Lake	Shiawassee	6 ft	-
25	Lower Herring Lake	Benzie	13 ft	50 ft
26	Silver Lake	Cheboygan	12.5 ft	-
27	Lake Bellaire	Antrim	12.5 ft	95 ft
28	Crooked Lake	Barry	12 ft	-
29	Long Lake	Gogebic	12 ft	60 ft
30	Hanbury Lake	Dickinson	14 ft	-
31	Corey Lake	St. Joseph	14.5 ft	-
32	Pleasant Lake	Wexford	9 ft	10 ft
33	Silver Lake	Van Buren	9.5 ft	-
34	Fishers Lake	St. Joseph	10.5 ft	42 ft
35	Clear Lake	Ogemaw	15 ft	50 ft
36	North Crooked Lake	Kalkaska	14 ft	-
37	Clark Lake	Jackson	10 ft	50 ft
38	Lake Fenton	Genesee	17.5 ft	90 ft
39	Emerald Lake	Newaygo	13.5 ft	49 ft
40	Eagle Lake	Cass	7 ft	35 ft
41	Cedar Lake	Alcona	9 ft	10 ft
42	Windover Lake	Clare	15.3 ft	60 ft
43	Farewell Lake	Jackson	13.8 ft	43 ft
44	Barlow Lake	Barry	11 ft	60 ft
45	Harwood Lake	Cass	10 ft	50 ft
46	Pickerel Lake	Kalkaska	20 ft	72 ft
47	Silver Lake	Cheboygan	12.5 ft	-
48	Eagle Lake	Allegan	15 ft	-
49	Cedar Lake	Iosco	12 ft	-
50	Resort Lake	Menominee	8.5 ft	41 ft

Showing top 50 of 100 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michigan lakes have western banded killifish?

Western Banded Killifish are found in 100 lakes in Michigan.

What are the best western banded killifish lakes in Michigan?

The best western banded killifish lakes in Michigan by water quality are Rennie Lake, Emerald Lake, Hanbury Lake, Murray Lake, Clear Lake.

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