lake whitefish Lakes in Minnesota

Found in 78 Minnesota lakes

Rough fish like lake whitefish are often associated with eutrophic, nutrient-loaded waters. Their presence — documented in 78 Minnesota 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.

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	19 ft	100 ft
2	Pike Lake	Cook	A	17.8 ft	45 ft
3	Whitefish Lake	Crow Wing	A	15.1 ft	138 ft
4	Island Lake	Crow Wing	A	15.3 ft	76 ft
5	Ottertrack Lake	Unknown	A	20.7 ft	116 ft
6	Hatch Lake	Itasca	A	16.5 ft	88 ft
7	Big Trout Lake	Crow Wing	A	16.4 ft	128 ft
8	Rush Lake	Crow Wing	A	18 ft	105 ft
9	Hanson Lake	Lake	A	16 ft	100 ft
10	Pine Lake	Cook	A	18 ft	113 ft
11	Pig Lake	Crow Wing	A	17.5 ft	56 ft
12	Ten Mile Lake	Cass	A	20 ft	208 ft
13	Burntside Lake	St. Louis	A	16 ft	126 ft
14	Clamshell Lake	Crow Wing	A	15.1 ft	44 ft
15	Bertha Lake	Crow Wing	A	17.2 ft	64 ft
16	Ester Lake	Lake	A	18.5 ft	110 ft
17	Lower Hay Lake	Crow Wing	A	20 ft	100 ft
18	Kabekona Bay Lake	Cass	A	17.2 ft	150 ft
19	Hen Lake	Crow Wing	A	17.6 ft	105 ft
20	Steamboat Lake	Cass	A	12 ft	93 ft
21	Deer Lake	Itasca	A	13.1 ft	121 ft
22	Benedict Lake	Hubbard	A	11 ft	91 ft
23	Sturgeon Lake	St. Louis	A	13.8 ft	79.8 ft
24	Sea Gull Lake	Cook	A	14.5 ft	40 ft
25	Kabekona Lake	Hubbard	A	11.8 ft	133 ft
26	Greenwood Lake	Cook	A	14.8 ft	112 ft
27	Steamboat Bay Lake	Cass	B	9.8 ft	150 ft
28	Devil Track Lake	Cook	B	7 ft	50 ft
29	Red Rock Lake	Cook	B	12.7 ft	64 ft
30	Sucker Lake	Lake	B	12 ft	111 ft
31	Tom Lake	Cook	B	9 ft	35 ft
32	Newfound Lake	Lake	B	13 ft	45 ft
33	Ogishkemuncie Lake	Lake	B	12 ft	75 ft
34	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	B	11.5 ft	150 ft
35	Good Lake	Lake	B	10 ft	51 ft
36	Eugene Lake	St. Louis	B	11.5 ft	64 ft
37	Turtle River Lake	Beltrami	B	8.7 ft	63 ft
38	Drewery Lake	Beltrami	B	3.5 ft	120 ft
39	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	C	8.2 ft	150 ft
40	Rainy Lake	St. Louis	C	9.5 ft	161 ft
41	Sand Point Lake	St. Louis	C	7.5 ft	184 ft
42	Namakan Lake	St. Louis	C	9.8 ft	150 ft
43	Rainy Lake	St. Louis	C	7.2 ft	161 ft
44	West Vermilion Lake	St. Louis	C	7.9 ft	76 ft
45	Rainy Lake	Koochiching	C	7.5 ft	161 ft
46	Elbow Lake	St. Louis	C	7 ft	60 ft
47	Basswood Lake	Lake	C	9 ft	111 ft
48	One Lake	Lake	C	7.5 ft	57 ft
49	Three Lake	Lake	C	8 ft	37 ft
50	Two Lake	Lake	C	8.5 ft	35 ft

Showing top 50 of 78 lakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Minnesota lakes have lake whitefish?

lake whitefish are found in 78 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, Whitefish Lake, Island Lake, Ottertrack Lake.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.