yellow bullhead Lakes in Minnesota & Wisconsin

Other SpeciesFound in 985 lakes

Rough fish like yellow bullhead are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 985 Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. With 985 Minnesota lakes and 0 in Wisconsin documenting yellow bullhead, the species is one of the more accessible targets in the dataset.

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 yellow bullhead lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and yellow bullhead documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

985

Total Lakes

985

Minnesota

Wisconsin

Avg. Grade

46 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of yellow bullhead Lakes

344

35%

237

24%

191

19%

128

13%

Best yellow bullhead Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with yellow bullhead ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	East Fox Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	65 ft	15
2	Deep Portage Lake	Cass	MN	A	105 ft	9
3	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	100 ft	21
4	Big Sugar Bush Lake	Becker	MN	A	42 ft	13
5	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	55 ft	20
6	Birch Lake	Wright	MN	A	52 ft	9
7	Round Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	59 ft	15
8	Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	138 ft	23
9	Horseshoe Lake	Cass	MN	A	51 ft	12
10	Long Lake	Clearwater	MN	A	80 ft	15
11	Long Lake	Cass	MN	A	115 ft	14
12	Long Lake	Becker	MN	A	61 ft	16
13	Long Lake	Cass	MN	A	37 ft	12
14	Long Lake	Itasca	MN	A	72 ft	10
15	Long Lake	Itasca	MN	A	85 ft	12
16	Dead Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	34 ft	9
17	Unnamed Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	95 ft	17
18	Maple Lake	Itasca	MN	A	39 ft	13
19	Shallow Lake	Itasca	MN	A	85 ft	12
20	Trout Lake	Itasca	MN	A	135 ft	15
21	Chippewa Lake	Douglas	MN	A	95 ft	19
22	Cowdry Lake	Douglas	MN	A	52 ft	19
23	Ossawinnamakee Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	63 ft	18
24	Clear Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	63 ft	15
25	Clear Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	24 ft	14
26	Blue Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	84 ft	13
27	Eagle Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	46 ft	10
28	West Fox Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	55 ft	15
29	Spearhead Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	81 ft	17
30	Ida Lake	Douglas	MN	A	106 ft	19
31	Star Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	83 ft	12
32	Star Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	94 ft	17
33	Upper Maple Lake	Wright	MN	A	76 ft	15
34	Partridge Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	42 ft	10
35	Fish Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	69 ft	17
36	Sand Lake	Cass	MN	A	54 ft	12
37	Roger Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	64 ft	12
38	Square Lake	Washington	MN	A	68 ft	9
39	Andrusia Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	60 ft	21
40	Girl Lake	Cass	MN	A	81 ft	18
41	Little Toad Lake	Becker	MN	A	65 ft	15
42	Charlotte Lake	Wright	MN	A	46 ft	10
43	Big Mcdonald Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	46 ft	15
44	Bass Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	47 ft	14
45	Bass Lake	Cass	MN	A	55 ft	12
46	Island Lake	Cass	MN	A	45 ft	12
47	Island Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	76 ft	19
48	Island Lake	Cass	MN	A	40 ft	13
49	Island Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	32 ft	13
50	Island Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	36 ft	9

Showing top 50 of 985 lakes with yellow bullhead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have yellow bullhead?

yellow bullhead are found in 985 lakes across Minnesota and Wisconsin, 985 in Minnesota and 0 in Wisconsin. The average water quality grade of lakes with yellow bullhead is C (Fair).

What are the best lakes for yellow bullhead?

The best yellow bullhead lakes by water quality are East Fox Lake, Deep Portage Lake, Lower Hay Lake, Big Sugar Bush Lake, Pelican Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where yellow bullhead have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with yellow bullhead?

yellow bullhead are most commonly found alongside bluegill, black crappie, northern pike, largemouth bass, yellow perch. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.