Wanless Lake
Lake County, Minnesota78 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Wanless Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 16 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Wanless Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 16 ft. Surface area: 77.92 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 29, 2013 caught 1.80 northern pike per trap net at Wanless Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–23 inches. DNR survey details →
Wanless Lake is a 78-acre lake in Lake County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 16 feet. The lake supports 3 documented fish species including northern pike, white sucker, and yellow perch. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-08-01. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Wanless Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing3 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Wanless Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Wanless 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 Wanless Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Wanless Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 5.4 ft. Phosphorus 17 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 7.3 µg/L. TSI 49.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 17µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 7.3µg/L | Measured, not scored The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 49 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Wanless Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 29, 2013 caught 1.80 northern pike per trap net at Wanless Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–23 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Wanless Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
7 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2013-05-29 (Targeted Survey).
7 surveys on file · most recent 2013-05-29 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 8.42 | 1–4 in 2013-05-29 | 0.07 lb |
| White Sucker | 4.42 | 12–21 in 2013-05-29 | 2.28 lb |
| Northern Pike | 3.37 | 12–23 in 2013-05-29 | 1.41 lb |
| Fathead Minnow | 0.38 |
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.
Yellow Perch
White Sucker
Northern Pike
From the 2013-05-29 survey
On May 29, 2013 a special assessment was performed using trap nets to assess the mid-range objective in the Lake Management Plan of determining survival and reproductive success of stocked Black Crappie. In late October 2002, 295 Black Crappie fingerlings were stocked, however; stocking records indicate that fish were…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Wanless Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — WanlessFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Wanless (1114)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
16 ft
Surface area
78 acres
Shoreline
1.9 mi
Littoral zone
99%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,739 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Wanless Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Wanless Lake in Lake 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 Wanless Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Wanless Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Wanless Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN38-0049-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Lake County
Frequently asked questions about Wanless Lake
Where is Wanless Lake?
- Wanless Lake is a lake in Lake County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Wanless Lake?
- Wanless Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 16 ft. Surface area: 77.92 acres.
Is Wanless Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Wanless Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Wanless Lake?
- Wanless Lake has a maximum depth of 16 feet. The lake covers 77.92 acres.
What fish are in Wanless Lake?
- Fish species found in Wanless Lake include northern pike, white sucker, yellow perch. Wanless Lake is located in Lake County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Wanless Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 29, 2013 caught 1.80 northern pike per trap net at Wanless Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–23 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Wanless Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Wanless Lake?
- Public access to Wanless Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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.
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Where this data comes from
5 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA5 samples · 2022
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
- 2120 B ~ Color in Water by Visual Comparison
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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