Yellow bullhead Lakes in Michigan

Found in 78 Michigan lakes

Yellow bullhead is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 78 lakes carry documentation. 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.

Michigan Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Yellow bullhead Lakes in Michigan

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Corey Lake	St. Joseph	A	16 ft	-
2	Corey Lake Southeastern Basin; Fabius Township	St. Joseph	A	16 ft	-
3	Twin Lake	Kalkaska	A	23 ft	-
4	Whitefish Lake Southeast Basin; Pierson Township	Montcalm	A	16 ft	-
5	Whitefish Lake	Montcalm	A	16.8 ft	-
6	Pickerel Lake	Kalkaska	A	15 ft	-
7	Round Lake	Benzie	A	15 ft	-
8	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	A	24 ft	-
9	Eagle Lake East Basin; Paw Paw Township	Van Buren	A	17 ft	-
10	Eagle Lake	Van Buren	A	15 ft	-
11	Round Lake	Benzie	A	15 ft	-
12	Diamond Lake	Osceola	A	16 ft	-
13	Lower Herring Lake East Basin; Blaire Township	Benzie	A	16 ft	-
14	Burt Lake	Cheboygan	A	15.5 ft	-
15	Silver Lake	Cheboygan	A	32 ft	-
16	Long Lake	Cheboygan	A	18 ft	-
17	Lime Lake	Benzie	A	17.5 ft	-
18	Crooked Lake	Emmet	A	-	-
19	Spring Lake	Emmet	A	-	-
20	Silver Lake	Washtenaw	A	11.5 ft	-
21	Farewell Lake West Basin; Hanover Township	Jackson	A	11.8 ft	-
22	Clear Lake East Basin; Waterloo Township	Jackson	A	10 ft	-
23	Round Lake Central Basin	Lenawee	A	12 ft	-
24	Chippewa Lake	Mecosta	B	11.5 ft	-
25	Silver Lake	Washtenaw	B	11.5 ft	-
26	Long Lake	Oakland	B	13 ft	-
27	Portage Lake South Basin; Dexter Township	Washtenaw	B	13 ft	-
28	Farewell Lake	Jackson	B	11.5 ft	-
29	Clark Lake	Livingston	B	12 ft	-
30	Scram Lake East Basin; Oakfield Township	Kent	B	11.5 ft	-
31	Long Lake	Gogebic	B	11.5 ft	-
32	Eagle Lake	Allegan	B	14 ft	-
33	Middle Straits Lake	Oakland	B	11 ft	-
34	Silver Lake	Genesee	B	12 ft	-
35	Round Lake	Oakland	B	10 ft	-
36	Long Lake	Benzie	B	11.5 ft	-
37	Clear Lake	Jackson	B	10 ft	-
38	Scram Lake	Kent	B	10.5 ft	-
39	Middle Straits Lake Central Basin; West Bloomfield Township	Oakland	B	11 ft	-
40	Crooked Lake	Barry	B	10 ft	-
41	Muskegon Lake	Muskegon	B	10.8 ft	-
42	Devils Lake	Lenawee	B	10.8 ft	-
43	Lower Herring Lake	Benzie	B	13.8 ft	-
44	Round Lake	Lenawee	B	12.5 ft	-
45	Long Lake	Gogebic	B	12 ft	-
46	Shingle Lake South Basin; Lincoln Township	Clare	B	-	-
47	Big Star Lake Central Basin; Lake Township	Lake	B	8 ft	-
48	Upper Herring Lake; Central Basin; Blaine Township	Benzie	B	8 ft	-
49	Wakeley Lake; Central Basin; Grayling Township	Crawford	B	6.5 ft	-
50	Shavehead Lake East Basin; Porter Township	Cass	C	7 ft	-

Showing top 50 of 78 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Michigan lakes have yellow bullhead?

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

What are the best yellow bullhead lakes in Michigan?

The best yellow bullhead lakes in Michigan by water quality are Corey Lake, Corey Lake Southeastern Basin; Fabius Township, Twin Lake, Whitefish Lake Southeast Basin; Pierson Township, Whitefish Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.