lake whitefish Lakes in Minnesota & Wisconsin

Other SpeciesFound in 78 lakes

Rough fish like lake whitefish are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 78 Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. lake whitefish is narrowly distributed — only 78 Minnesota lakes and 0 Wisconsin lakes 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 lake whitefish lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and lake whitefish documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

Minnesota

Wisconsin

Avg. Grade

95 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of lake whitefish Lakes

33%

15%

26%

24%

Best lake whitefish Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with lake whitefish ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	100 ft	21
2	Pike Lake	Cook	MN	A	45 ft	7
3	Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	138 ft	23
4	Island Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	76 ft	19
5	Ottertrack Lake	Unknown	MN	A	116 ft	9
6	Hatch Lake	Itasca	MN	A	88 ft	15
7	Big Trout Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	128 ft	20
8	Rush Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	105 ft	21
9	Hanson Lake	Lake	MN	A	100 ft	6
10	Pine Lake	Cook	MN	A	113 ft	10
11	Pig Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	56 ft	20
12	Ten Mile Lake	Cass	MN	A	208 ft	17
13	Burntside Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	126 ft	15
14	Clamshell Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	44 ft	18
15	Bertha Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	64 ft	22
16	Ester Lake	Lake	MN	A	110 ft	8
17	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	100 ft	21
18	Kabekona Bay Lake	Cass	MN	A	150 ft	18
19	Hen Lake	Crow Wing	MN	A	105 ft	21
20	Steamboat Lake	Cass	MN	A	93 ft	15
21	Deer Lake	Itasca	MN	A	121 ft	17
22	Benedict Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	91 ft	16
23	Sturgeon Lake	St. Louis	MN	A	79.8 ft	15
24	Sea Gull Lake	Cook	MN	A	40 ft	12
25	Kabekona Lake	Hubbard	MN	A	133 ft	20
26	Greenwood Lake	Cook	MN	A	112 ft	10
27	Steamboat Bay Lake	Cass	MN	B	150 ft	18
28	Devil Track Lake	Cook	MN	B	50 ft	9
29	Red Rock Lake	Cook	MN	B	64 ft	8
30	Sucker Lake	Lake	MN	B	111 ft	14
31	Tom Lake	Cook	MN	B	35 ft	5
32	Newfound Lake	Lake	MN	B	45 ft	12
33	Ogishkemuncie Lake	Lake	MN	B	75 ft	5
34	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	MN	B	150 ft	18
35	Good Lake	Lake	MN	B	51 ft	11
36	Eugene Lake	St. Louis	MN	B	64 ft	8
37	Turtle River Lake	Beltrami	MN	B	63 ft	20
38	Drewery Lake	Beltrami	MN	B	120 ft	21
39	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	MN	C	150 ft	18
40	Rainy Lake	St. Louis	MN	C	161 ft	17
41	Sand Point Lake	St. Louis	MN	C	184 ft	21
42	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	MN	C	150 ft	18
43	Rainy Lake	St. Louis	MN	C	161 ft	17
44	West Vermilion Lake	St. Louis	MN	C	76 ft	17
45	Rainy Lake	Koochiching	MN	C	161 ft	17
46	Elbow Lake	St. Louis	MN	C	60 ft	12
47	Basswood Lake	Lake	MN	C	111 ft	14
48	One Lake	Lake	MN	C	57 ft	7
49	Three Lake	Lake	MN	C	37 ft	10
50	Two Lake	Lake	MN	C	35 ft	8

Showing top 50 of 78 lakes with lake whitefish.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have lake whitefish?

lake whitefish are found in 78 lakes across Minnesota and Wisconsin, 78 in Minnesota and 0 in Wisconsin. The average water quality grade of lakes with lake whitefish is C (Fair).

What are the best lakes for lake whitefish?

The best lake whitefish lakes by water quality are Lower Hay Lake, Pike Lake, Whitefish Lake, Island Lake, Ottertrack Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where lake whitefish have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with lake whitefish?

lake whitefish are most commonly found alongside white sucker, northern pike, walleye, yellow perch, rock bass. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.