Yellow bullhead Lakes in Minnesota, Wisconsin & Michigan

Other SpeciesFound in 78 lakes

Rough fish like Yellow bullhead are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 78 Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Yellow bullhead is narrowly distributed — only 78 lakes in Michigan have a documented record. The constraint is usually habitat: cold water, specific depth profile, or river connection.

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.

Total Lakes

Michigan lakes →

Avg. Grade

45 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Yellow bullhead Lakes

366

33%

284

26%

210

19%

150

14%

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	North Long Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	97 ft	18
3	Big Sugar Bush Lake	Becker	MN	A	42 ft	13
4	Horseshoe Lake	Cass	MN	A	51 ft	12
5	Long Lake	Cass	MN	A	115 ft	14
6	Long Lake	Clearwater	MN	A	80 ft	15
7	Long Lake	Becker	MN	A	61 ft	16
8	Long Lake	Cass	MN	A	37 ft	12
9	Long Lake	Itasca	MN	A	72 ft	10
10	Long Lake	Itasca	MN	A	85 ft	12
11	Dead Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	34 ft	9
12	Ossawinnamakee Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	63 ft	18
13	Clear Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	63 ft	15
14	Clear Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	24 ft	14
15	Eagle Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	46 ft	10
16	West Fox Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	55 ft	15
17	Spearhead Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	81 ft	17
18	Ida Lake	Douglas	MN	A	106 ft	19
19	Star Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	83 ft	12
20	Star Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	94 ft	17
21	Upper Maple Lake	Wright	MN	A	76 ft	15
22	Fish Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	69 ft	17
23	Birch Lake	Wright	MN	A	52 ft	9
24	Girl Lake	Cass	MN	A	81 ft	18
25	Little Toad Lake	Becker	MN	A	65 ft	15
26	Charlotte Lake	Wright	MN	A	46 ft	10
27	Bass Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	47 ft	14
28	Bass Lake	Cass	MN	A	55 ft	12
29	Crooked Lake	Stearns	MN	A	35 ft	10
30	Crooked Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	54 ft	16
31	Cedar Lake	Morrison	MN	A	88 ft	14
32	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	55 ft	20
33	Square Lake	Washington	MN	A	68 ft	9
34	Lower Bottle Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	110 ft	13
35	Big Pine Lake	Aitkin	MN	A	78 ft	15
36	Strawberry Lake	Becker	MN	A	40 ft	16
37	Alexander Lake	Morrison	MN	A	64 ft	19
38	Gull Lake	Cass	MN	A	80 ft	22
39	Deep Portage Lake	Cass	MN	A	105 ft	9
40	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	100 ft	21
41	Unnamed Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	95 ft	17
42	Maple Lake	Itasca	MN	A	39 ft	13
43	Shallow Lake	Itasca	MN	A	85 ft	12
44	Trout Lake	Itasca	MN	A	135 ft	15
45	Cowdry Lake	Douglas	MN	A	52 ft	19
46	Blue Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	84 ft	13
47	Partridge Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	42 ft	10
48	Sand Lake	Cass	MN	A	54 ft	12
49	Andrusia Lake	Beltrami	MN	A	60 ft	21
50	Big Mcdonald Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	46 ft	15

Showing top 50 of 1,108 lakes with yellow bullhead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have yellow bullhead?

Yellow bullhead are found in 78 graded lakes: 78 in Michigan. The average water quality grade of lakes with yellow bullhead is B (Good).

What are the best lakes for yellow bullhead?

The best yellow bullhead lakes by water quality are East Fox Lake, North Long Lake, Big Sugar Bush Lake, Horseshoe Lake, Long 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 yellow bullhead, bluegill, black crappie, northern pike, largemouth bass. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Yellow bullhead Lakes

Bluegill Lakes

Found together in 1,017 lakes · 240 total

Black Crappie Lakes

Found together in 1,014 lakes · 41 total

Northern pike Lakes

Found together in 1,009 lakes · 99 total

Largemouth bass Lakes

Found together in 985 lakes · 172 total

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 972 lakes · 113 total

Pumpkinseed Lakes

Found together in 937 lakes · 145 total

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.