Lake whitefish Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 83 Minnesota lakes · 22 in Michigan

Rough fish like Lake whitefish are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 22 Minnesota lakes — is often a signal of how the rest of the fishery is functioning. Lake whitefish is narrowly distributed — only 22 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 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.

Minnesota Lakes

Avg. Grade

Grade A Lakes

Counties

Best Lake whitefish Lakes in Minnesota

Rank	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Depth
1	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	A	18.5 ft	100 ft
2	Pike Lake	Cook	A	17.4 ft	45 ft
3	Island Lake	Crow Wing	A	15.1 ft	76 ft
4	Hatch Lake	Itasca	A	15.3 ft	88 ft
5	Big Trout Lake	Crow Wing	A	16.9 ft	128 ft
6	Rush Lake	Crow Wing	A	18 ft	105 ft
7	Hanson Lake	Lake	A	18 ft	100 ft
8	Pine Lake	Cook	A	16.9 ft	113 ft
9	Pig Lake	Crow Wing	A	17.2 ft	56 ft
10	Ten Mile Lake	Cass	A	20.5 ft	208 ft
11	Burntside Lake	St. Louis	A	16 ft	126 ft
12	Clamshell Lake	Crow Wing	A	15.1 ft	44 ft
13	Bertha Lake	Crow Wing	A	17.1 ft	64 ft
14	Ester Lake	Lake	A	18.8 ft	110 ft
15	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	A	19.5 ft	100 ft
16	Greenwood Lake	Cook	A	15.1 ft	112 ft
17	Kabekona Bay Lake	Cass	A	17.2 ft	150 ft
18	Hen Lake	Crow Wing	A	17.1 ft	105 ft
19	Cass Lake Allens Bay	Beltrami	A	16.6 ft	120 ft
20	Cass Lake	Beltrami	A	18.5 ft	120 ft
21	Steamboat Lake	Cass	A	12 ft	93 ft
22	Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	A	14.4 ft	138 ft
23	Deer Lake	Itasca	A	13.1 ft	121 ft
24	Benedict Lake	Hubbard	A	11.5 ft	91 ft
25	Sturgeon Lake	St. Louis	A	13.8 ft	79.8 ft
26	Sea Gull Lake	Cook	A	14.3 ft	40 ft
27	Kabekona Lake	Hubbard	A	12.1 ft	133 ft
28	Cass Lake Pike Bay	Cass	A	13.6 ft	95 ft
29	Steamboat Bay Lake	Cass	B	9.8 ft	150 ft
30	Red Rock Lake	Cook	B	12 ft	64 ft
31	Devil Track Lake	Cook	B	7 ft	50 ft
32	Sucker Lake	Lake	B	12 ft	111 ft
33	Tom Lake	Cook	B	9 ft	35 ft
34	Turtle River Lake	Beltrami	B	8.5 ft	63 ft
35	Newfound Lake	Lake	B	12.8 ft	45 ft
36	Ogishkemuncie Lake	Lake	B	11.5 ft	75 ft
37	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	B	11.5 ft	150 ft
38	Good Lake	Lake	B	10 ft	51 ft
39	Eugene Lake	St. Louis	B	11.5 ft	64 ft
40	Ge-Be-on-Equat Lake	St. Louis	B	10 ft	55 ft
41	Drewery Lake	Beltrami	B	3.5 ft	120 ft
42	Windy Lake	Lake	B	5.5 ft	39 ft
43	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	C	8.2 ft	150 ft
44	Rainy Lake	St. Louis	C	9.5 ft	161 ft
45	Sand Point Lake	St. Louis	C	7.5 ft	184 ft
46	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	C	9.8 ft	150 ft
47	Rainy Lake	St. Louis	C	7.2 ft	161 ft
48	West Vermilion Lake	St. Louis	C	8 ft	76 ft
49	Rainy Lake	Koochiching	C	7.7 ft	161 ft
50	Basswood Lake	Lake	C	9 ft	111 ft

Showing top 50 of 83 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have lake whitefish?

Lake whitefish are found in 83 lakes in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of these lakes is C (Fair).

What are the best lake whitefish lakes in Minnesota?

The best lake whitefish lakes in Minnesota by water quality are Lower Hay Lake, Pike Lake, Island Lake, Hatch Lake, Big Trout Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.