Watap Lake
Cook County, Minnesota1,993 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Watap Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 210 ft max depth
- Limited data
Watap Lake in Cook County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 210 ft. Surface area: 1992.66 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 19, 2011 caught 0.83 smallmouth bass per gill net at Watap Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–11 inches. DNR survey details →
Watap Lake is a 1,993-acre lake in Cook County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 210 feet. The lake supports 1 documented fish species including lake trout. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-07-30. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Watap Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Deep water210 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water1,993 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Watap 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 Watap Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Watap Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9 ft. TSI 45.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading 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. | 45 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Watap Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 19, 2011 caught 0.83 smallmouth bass per gill net at Watap Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–11 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Watap Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
8 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-12 (Targeted Survey).
8 surveys on file · most recent 2025-08-12 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Trout | 9.79 | 10–40 in 2011-09-19 | 1.36 lb |
| White Sucker | 6.86 | 12–20 in 2011-09-19 | 1 lb |
| Spottail Shiner | 0.92 | ||
| Smallmouth Bass | 0.72 | 10–11 in 2011-09-19 | 0.5 lb |
| Fathead Minnow | 0.08 |
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.
Lake Trout
White Sucker
Smallmouth Bass
From the 2025-08-12 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Mountain Lake on August 12th, 2025, to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Lake Trout, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake. During the…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Watap Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — MountainFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
210 ft
Surface area
1,993 acres
Shoreline
35.7 mi
Littoral zone
25%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
3 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,660 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Watap Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Watap Lake in Cook 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 Watap Lake
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Fish Species
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Fishing Watap Lake
Nearby Lakes in Cook County
Frequently asked questions about Watap Lake
Where is Watap Lake?
- Watap Lake is a lake in Cook County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Watap Lake?
- Watap Lake in Cook County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 210 ft. Surface area: 1992.66 acres.
Is Watap Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Watap Lake?
- Watap Lake has a maximum depth of 210 feet. The lake covers 1992.66 acres.
What fish are in Watap Lake?
- Fish species found in Watap Lake include lake trout. Watap Lake is located in Cook County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Watap Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on September 19, 2011 caught 0.83 smallmouth bass per gill net at Watap Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 10–11 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Watap Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Watap Lake?
- Public access to Watap Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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 Watap Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Cook County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
1 measurement from 1 monitoring station, 2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA1 sample · 2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder