Updated Jul 2026
Fishing Guides
What fish are in each lake, and where the water is cleanest for them. 3,391 lakes with documented fish across 6 states — every list ranked by water-quality grade.
Fishing Guides by State
Each state guide has an interactive species-filter map, best-graded lakes by species, the full species rollup, and fishing by county.
Minnesota Fishing
C1,643 lakes · 72 species documented
Wisconsin Fishing
B1,171 lakes · 9 species documented
Michigan Fishing
B348 lakes · 98 species documented
North Dakota Fishing
C143 lakes · 23 species documented
New York Fishing
B72 lakes · 15 species documented
Indiana Fishing
D14 lakes · 11 species documented
By Fish Species
145 documented species. Each has a grade-ranked "best lakes" page nationally and per state.
Plan a Trip
Reports, timing, safety, and the rules — everything around a day on the water.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes these fishing guides different?
Every lake list is ranked by its A–F water-quality grade — clarity, phosphorus, and algae. No other fishing site grades the water under the fish, so "best lakes for a species" here means the cleanest, healthiest water, not just where fish were reported.
Which states have fishing guides?
Full fishing guides cover Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Dakota, New York, Indiana — 3,391 lakes with documented fish species. Each has an interactive species-filter map, best-graded lakes by species, and fishing by county.
Where does the fish data come from?
State agency survey, stocking, and public fishing-access records (MN/WI/MI/ND DNR, Indiana DNR, NY DEC), joined to each lake’s EPA water-quality grade. It reflects documented presence.