Best Fishing Lakes in Minnesota, Wisconsin & Michigan
Top 50 lakes ranked by a composite of fish species diversity and water quality grade. Lakes with more documented species and higher water quality grades rank higher. Fish-species data currently covers Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
| Rank | Lake | County | State | Grade | Depth | Species | Fish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Long Lake | Grand Traverse | MI | A | - | 40 | Blackchin shiner, Blacknose shiner, Blackside darter, Blackstripe topminnow... |
| 2 | Long Lake | Cheboygan | MI | A | - | 40 | Blackchin shiner, Blacknose shiner, Blackside darter, Blackstripe topminnow... |
| 3 | Round Lake | Benzie | MI | A | - | 37 | Black bullhead, Black crappie, Blackchin shiner, Blacknose shiner... |
| 4 | Round Lake | Benzie | MI | A | - | 37 | Black bullhead, Black crappie, Blackchin shiner, Blacknose shiner... |
| 5 | Burt Lake | Cheboygan | MI | A | - | 33 | Blackchin shiner, Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Bowfin... |
| 6 | Long Lake | Gogebic | MI | B | - | 40 | Blackchin shiner, Blacknose shiner, Blackside darter, Blackstripe topminnow... |
| 7 | Long Lake | Benzie | MI | B | - | 40 | Blackchin shiner, Blacknose shiner, Blackside darter, Blackstripe topminnow... |
| 8 | Long Lake | Gogebic | MI | B | - | 40 | Blackchin shiner, Blacknose shiner, Blackside darter, Blackstripe topminnow... |
| 9 | Round Lake | Oakland | MI | B | - | 37 | Black bullhead, Black crappie, Blackchin shiner, Blacknose shiner... |
| 10 | Pickerel Lake | Kalkaska | MI | A | - | 29 | Blackchin shiner, Blacknose shiner, Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow... |
| 11 | Otter Lake | Benzie | MI | A | - | 30 | Bigmouth shiner, Black bullhead, Black crappie, Blacknose shiner... |
| 12 | Elk Lake | Antrim | MI | A | - | 27 | Blacknose shiner, Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Burbot... |
| 13 | Crooked Lake | Emmet | MI | A | - | 26 | Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Brown bullhead, Central mudminnow... |
| 14 | Lake St. Croix | Washington | MN | B | 78 ft | 36 | bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill... |
| 15 | Diamond Lake | Osceola | MI | A | - | 25 | Black crappie, Blacknose shiner, Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow... |
| 16 | Lower Herring Lake East Basin; Blaire Township | Benzie | MI | A | - | 25 | Black crappie, Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Brown bullhead... |
| 17 | Eagle Lake | Allegan | MI | B | - | 30 | Black crappie, Blackchin shiner, Blacknose shiner, Bluegill... |
| 18 | Otter Lake | Oakland | MI | B | - | 30 | Bigmouth shiner, Black bullhead, Black crappie, Blacknose shiner... |
| 19 | Otter Lake | Benzie | MI | B | - | 30 | Bigmouth shiner, Black bullhead, Black crappie, Blacknose shiner... |
| 20 | Murray Lake East Basin; Grattan Township | Kent | MI | B | - | 29 | Black crappie, Blackchin shiner, Blacknose shiner, Bluegill... |
| 21 | Round Lake Central Basin | Lenawee | MI | A | - | 25 | Blackchin shiner, Blacknose shiner, Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow... |
| 22 | Round Lake | Mecosta | MI | C | - | 37 | Black bullhead, Black crappie, Blackchin shiner, Blacknose shiner... |
| 23 | Round Lake | Kent | MI | C | - | 37 | Black bullhead, Black crappie, Blackchin shiner, Blacknose shiner... |
| 24 | Gull Lake | Cass | MN | A | 80 ft | 22 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 25 | Bertha Lake | Crow Wing | MN | A | 64 ft | 22 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 26 | Douglas Lake | Otsego | MI | A | - | 22 | Blacknose shiner, Bluegill, Brown bullhead, Central mudminnow... |
| 27 | St. Croix Lake | Washington | MN | C | 78 ft | 36 | bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill... |
| 28 | Crooked Lake | Barry | MI | B | - | 27 | Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Brown bullhead, Central mudminnow... |
| 29 | Devils Lake | Lenawee | MI | B | - | 27 | Blackchin shiner, Blacknose shiner, Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow... |
| 30 | Elk Lake | Antrim | MI | B | - | 27 | Blacknose shiner, Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Burbot... |
| 31 | Lower Hay Lake | Crow Wing | MN | A | 100 ft | 21 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 32 | Andrusia Lake | Beltrami | MN | A | 60 ft | 21 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 33 | Lizzie Lake | Otter Tail | MN | A | 66 ft | 21 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 34 | Rush Lake | Crow Wing | MN | A | 105 ft | 21 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 35 | Carlos Lake | Douglas | MN | A | 163 ft | 21 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 36 | Lower Hay Lake | Crow Wing | MN | A | 100 ft | 21 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 37 | Hen Lake | Crow Wing | MN | A | 105 ft | 21 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 38 | Cass Lake Allens Bay | Beltrami | MN | A | 120 ft | 21 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 39 | Cass Lake | Beltrami | MN | A | 120 ft | 21 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 40 | Whitefish Lake Southeast Basin; Pierson Township | Montcalm | MI | A | - | 21 | Black crappie, Blackchin shiner, Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow... |
| 41 | Whitefish Lake | Montcalm | MI | A | - | 21 | Black crappie, Blackchin shiner, Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow... |
| 42 | Lake Margrethe | Crawford | MI | A | - | 21 | Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Brown bullhead, Central mudminnow... |
| 43 | Portage Lake South Basin; Dexter Township | Washtenaw | MI | B | - | 26 | Blackstripe topminnow, Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Bowfin... |
| 44 | Whitefish Lake | Crow Wing | MN | A | 138 ft | 23 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 45 | Pelican Lake | Otter Tail | MN | A | 55 ft | 20 | bigmouth buffalo, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 46 | Big Trout Lake | Crow Wing | MN | A | 128 ft | 20 | black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead... |
| 47 | Pig Lake | Crow Wing | MN | A | 56 ft | 20 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 48 | Long Lake | Cass | MI | B | - | 25 | Blacknose shiner, Blackside darter, Blackstripe topminnow, Bluegill... |
| 49 | Long Lake South Central Basin | Cass | MI | B | - | 25 | Blackchin shiner, Blacknose shiner, Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow... |
| 50 | Lower Herring Lake | Benzie | MI | B | - | 25 | Black crappie, Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Brown bullhead... |
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