Updated August 2026
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.
- 3+ documented fish species
| Rank | Lake | County | State | Grade | Depth | Species | Fish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Round Lake | Benzie | MI | A | - | 37 | Black bullhead, Black crappie, Blackchin shiner, Blacknose shiner... |
| 2 | Otter Lake | Benzie | MI | A | - | 30 | Bigmouth shiner, Black bullhead, Black crappie, Blacknose shiner... |
| 3 | Murray Lake East Basin; Grattan Township | Kent | MI | A | - | 29 | Black crappie, Blackchin shiner, Blacknose shiner, Bluegill... |
| 4 | Lake St Croix | Pierce | MN | B | 78 ft | 36 | bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill... |
| 5 | Pool | Washington | MN | B | 78 ft | 36 | bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill... |
| 6 | Round Lake Central Basin | Lenawee | MI | A | - | 25 | Blackchin shiner, Blacknose shiner, Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow... |
| 7 | Whitefish Lake | Crow Wing | MN | A | 138 ft | 23 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 8 | Green Lake | Kandiyohi | MN | A | 110 ft | 22 | bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill... |
| 9 | Cedar Lake | Aitkin | MN | A | 105 ft | 22 | bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill... |
| 10 | Gull Lake | Cass | MN | A | 80 ft | 22 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 11 | Broadwater Bay Lake | Cass | MN | A | 54 ft | 22 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 12 | Bertha Lake | Crow Wing | MN | A | 64 ft | 22 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 13 | Pool of Lake St Croix | Washington | MN | C | 78 ft | 36 | bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill... |
| 14 | Lower Hay Lake | Crow Wing | MN | A | 100 ft | 21 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 15 | Washburn Lake | Cass | MN | A | 111 ft | 21 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 16 | Andrusia Lake | Beltrami | MN | A | 60 ft | 21 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 17 | Lizzie Lake | Otter Tail | MN | A | 66 ft | 21 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 18 | Rush Lake | Crow Wing | MN | A | 105 ft | 21 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 19 | Minnewaska Lake | Pope | MN | A | 32 ft | 21 | bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill... |
| 20 | Carlos Lake | Douglas | MN | A | 163 ft | 21 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 21 | Hen Lake | Crow Wing | MN | A | 105 ft | 21 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 22 | Cass Lake | Beltrami | MN | A | 120 ft | 21 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 23 | Whitefish Lake Southeast Basin; Pierson Township | Montcalm | MI | A | - | 21 | Black crappie, Blackchin shiner, Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow... |
| 24 | Crooked Lake | Emmet | MI | B | - | 26 | Bluegill, Bluntnose minnow, Brown bullhead, Central mudminnow... |
| 25 | Little Birch Lake | Todd | MN | A | 89 ft | 20 | bigmouth buffalo, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 26 | Pelican Lake | Otter Tail | MN | A | 55 ft | 20 | bigmouth buffalo, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 27 | Round Lake | Crow Wing | MN | A | 51 ft | 20 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 28 | Lida Lake | Otter Tail | MN | A | 58 ft | 20 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 29 | Upper Gull Lake | Cass | MN | A | 54 ft | 20 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 30 | Inguadona Lake | Cass | MN | A | 79 ft | 20 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 31 | Big Trout Lake | Crow Wing | MN | A | 128 ft | 20 | black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead... |
| 32 | Le Homme Dieu Lake | Douglas | MN | A | 85 ft | 20 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 33 | Plantagenet Lake | Hubbard | MN | A | 65 ft | 20 | black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead... |
| 34 | Pig Lake | Crow Wing | MN | A | 56 ft | 20 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 35 | Movil Lake | Beltrami | MN | A | 50 ft | 20 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 36 | Boy Lake | Cass | MN | A | 45 ft | 20 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 37 | Kabekona Lake | Hubbard | MN | A | 133 ft | 20 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 38 | Cass Lake Pike Bay | Cass | MN | A | 95 ft | 20 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 39 | Upper Estuary Lake | St. Louis | MN | C | 55 ft | 33 | American eel, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill... |
| 40 | Detroit Lake | Becker | MN | A | 89 ft | 19 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead... |
| 41 | Chippewa Lake | Douglas | MN | A | 95 ft | 19 | bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill... |
| 42 | Cowdry Lake | Douglas | MN | A | 52 ft | 19 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 43 | Big Spunk Lake | Stearns | MN | A | 38 ft | 19 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 44 | Darling Lake | Douglas | MN | A | 62 ft | 19 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 45 | Ida Lake | Douglas | MN | A | 106 ft | 19 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 46 | Island Lake | Crow Wing | MN | A | 76 ft | 19 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 47 | Pokegama Lake | Itasca | MN | A | 112 ft | 19 | black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead... |
| 48 | Alexander Lake | Morrison | MN | A | 64 ft | 19 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 49 | Miltona Lake | Douglas | MN | A | 105 ft | 19 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
| 50 | Wall Lake | Otter Tail | MN | A | 34 ft | 19 | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish)... |
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