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Wabedo Lake

Cass County, MinnesotaMesotrophic

On the LakeGrade rubric, Wabedo Lake pulls an A: clarity at 10.0 ft and 16 µg/L of phosphorus put it in the top bracket for Minnesota. clarity and phosphorus rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

Mesotrophic conditions dominate at Wabedo Lake: enough nutrients for a healthy fishery, not so much that algal blooms become a chronic problem. The lake's 95 ft maximum depth is in the upper tier for Minnesota — deep enough for cold-water fish to find refuge in summer. At 1,226 acres, Wabedo Lake is one of the larger lakes in Cass County, with 11.3 miles of shoreline supporting multiple distinct use patterns. Wabedo Lake sits at rank 69 of 132 in Cass County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Wabedo Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. Wabedo Lake's fishery is anchored by muskellunge, with 19 documented species in total — a destination water for muskie anglers. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. The lake has a partial ice record — 17 observed ice-outs, centered near Apr 21. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-09-22. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated

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Swimming Safety

Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae

Water Quality Grade: A, Excellent

Good clarity, visible to about 10 ft. Phosphorus level: 16 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 44.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)10 ftB
Phosphorus16 µg/LA
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No data
Trophic State Index (TSI)44Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth95 ft
Surface Area1.2K acres
Shoreline Length11.3 mi
Littoral Zone24%
Public AccessYes

Fish Species

black bullhead,black crappie,bluegill,bowfin (dogfish),brown bullhead,cisco species,green sunfish,hybrid sunfish,largemouth bass,muskellunge,northern pike,pumpkinseed,rock bass,smallmouth bass,tullibee (cisco),walleye,white sucker,yellow bullhead,yellow perch

Click a species to see all Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes where it is found.

→ Best fishing times for Wabedo Lake (14-day solunar calendar)

→ Is it safe to eat fish from Wabedo Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)

Wabedo Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

Water Quality Trend: Stable

Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Improving+0.259 m/yr5
Phosphorus Declining+0.4 µg/L/yr5
See year-by-year chart →

Ice Season

Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (27 observations).

Typical Ice-Out
Apr 21
Typical Ice-In
Dec 1

Estimated open water season: 224 days

EarliestLatest
Ice-Out2017-04-04 (2017)2022-05-06 (2022)
Ice-In2018-11-20 (2018)2004-12-15 (2004)

Most recent ice-out: 2025-04-17

Location

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County Ranking

Ranked #69 of 132 lakes in Cass County

Nearby Lakes in Cass County

DNR Fisheries Survey Summary

18 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-07-31 (Targeted Survey).

Top Species by Catch Rate

SpeciesAvg CPUEAvg Weight
Bluegill21.570.11 lb
MMS19.03
Yellow Perch16.210.12 lb
Bluntnose Minnow13.32
BCS8.77
Tullibee (Cisco)6.650.5 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

255 fish · 38 in · 2024-07-08
153770345678

Yellow Perch

144 fish · 511 in · 2024-07-08
100500trophy 12567891011

Tullibee (Cisco)

37 fish · 713 in · 2021-07-12
116078910111213

From the 2024-07-31 survey

Temperature and dissolved oxygen profiles were collected in the deepest basins in Wabedo Lake on July 31, 2024 , to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Cisco, also known as Tullibee, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake. Cisco require…

Source: MN DNR LakeFinder Fisheries Lake Survey

DNR Reports & Resources

Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Wabedo Lake. 4 reports on file.

EPA Impairment Status

Wabedo Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).

Causes of impairment

Mercury

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN11-0171-02 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.38 km)

Data Sources

Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal

Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database

Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards

Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder

Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate

Most recent sample: 2024-09-22

Monitoring stations: 4