Wabana Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota2,221 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Wabana Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 115 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Wabana Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 18 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 115 ft. Surface area: 2221.17 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 14, 2025 caught 3.73 walleye per gill net at Wabana Lake. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Wabana Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 110 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Wabana Lake is a 2,221-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 115 feet. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 71 other monitored lakes in Itasca County, Wabana Lake ranks #15 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-01. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Wabana Lake covers about 2,200 acres in Itasca County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 25, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Wabana Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Wabana Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water18 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 25
- Deep water115 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water2,221 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Wabana Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Wabana Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Wabana Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Wabana Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 18 ft down. Phosphorus 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.3 µg/L. TSI 36.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 18ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 8µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.3µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 36 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Wabana Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Wabana Lake typically sits around 61°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 65°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 68°F) and coldest in May (about 49°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (49°F) to its warmest (68°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 102 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Wabana Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Wabana Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was low (18,535 cells/mL) on May 9, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 14, 2025 caught 3.73 walleye per gill net at Wabana Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Wabana Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
14 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-14 (Standard Survey).
14 surveys on file · most recent 2025-07-14 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 15.67 | 3–9 in 2025-07-14 | 0.16 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 13.33 | 5–18 in 2025-07-14 | 0.72 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 6.50 | ||
| Rock Bass | 5.03 | 3–10 in 2025-07-14 | 0.29 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 3.81 | 8–19 in 2025-07-14 | 1.09 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Rock Bass
Tullibee (Cisco)
From the 2025-07-14 survey
Wabana Lake is a 2,215-acre lake about 11 miles north of Grand Rapids. It has two public boat accesses and moderate shoreline development. For anglers, Wabana is managed first and foremost as a Walleye lake, with Northern Pike and both Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass also important parts of the fishery. The 2025 survey…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Wabana Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — WabanaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Wabana (0616)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — WabanaFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — WabanaPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
115 ft
Surface area
2,221 acres
Shoreline
25.3 mi
Littoral zone
35%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
49 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,316 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Wabana Lake (Southeast)Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Wabana Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Wabana Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Wabana Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Wabana Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 25
Earliest Apr 10, 2017 · Latest May 9, 2014
Typical ice-in
Dec 1
Earliest Nov 20, 2018 · Latest Dec 22, 2001
Most recent ice-out
Apr 23
2025
54 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Wabana Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Wabana Lake (completed 1940), built primarily for fish and wildlife pond on the Clearwater River; gravity-type dam, 7 ft tall and 81 ft long.
- Surface area
- 2,186 ac
- Normal storage
- 105,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 121,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 42 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MNDNR
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00077 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Wabana Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN31-0392-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Wabana Lake
Where is Wabana Lake?
- Wabana Lake is a lake in Itasca County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Wabana Lake?
- Wabana Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 18 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 115 ft. Surface area: 2221.17 acres.
Is Wabana Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Wabana Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Wabana Lake?
- Wabana Lake typically sits around 61°F at the surface in September, from 102 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Wabana Lake?
- Wabana Lake has a maximum depth of 115 feet. The lake covers 2221.17 acres.
What fish are in Wabana Lake?
- Fish species found in Wabana Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Wabana Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Wabana Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 14, 2025 caught 3.73 walleye per gill net at Wabana Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Wabana Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Wabana Lake thaw?
- Wabana Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 25. Ice typically forms around Dec 1. The open water season is approximately 220 days.
Does Wabana Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Wabana Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was low (18,535 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Wabana Lake?
- Wabana Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Wabana Lake (Southeast). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Wabana Lake?
- Wabana Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Wabana Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
319 measurements from 7 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA319 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (7)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate