Wabana Lake
Wabana Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). 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.
- Clarity
- 18 ft
- Typical in August
- 66°F
- Max depth
- 115 ft
- Area
- 2,221 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 25
- Open water
- 220 days
Next lake in Itasca County
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. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available. 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. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Crystal clear, you can see 18 ft down. Phosphorus level: 8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 2.3 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 36.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 18 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 8 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.3 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 36 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay 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.
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Water Temperature
Wabana Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in August. 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.
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 ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 115 ft |
| Surface Area | 2,221 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 25.3 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 35% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Wabana Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
14 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-14 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 15.67 | 0.16 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 13.33 | 0.72 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 6.50 | — |
| Rock Bass | 5.03 | 0.29 lb |
| IOD | 4.26 | — |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 3.81 | 1.09 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.105 m/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (54 observations).
Estimated open water season: 220 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2017-04-10 (2017) | 2014-05-09 (2014) |
| Ice-In | 2018-11-20 (2018) | 2001-12-22 (2001) |
Most recent ice-out: 2025-04-23
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
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN31-0392-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #15 of 72 lakes in Itasca County
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Wabana Lake
What is the water quality grade for Wabana Lake?
- Wabana Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). 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?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Wabana Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 2.3 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Wabana Lake?
- Wabana Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in August, 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.
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.
Explore Wabana Lake across LakeGrade
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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)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate