West Fox Lake
West Fox Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 15 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 55 ft. Surface area: 449.42 acres.
- Clarity
- 15 ft
- Typical in August
- 66°F
- Max depth
- 55 ft
- Area
- 449 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- No
- Ice-out
- Apr 19
Next lake in Crow Wing County
West Fox Lake is a 449-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 55 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, West Fox Lake ranks #13 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-26. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
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 15 ft down. Phosphorus level: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 2.7 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 39.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 15 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 12 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.7 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 39 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near West Fox Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near West Fox Lake in Crow Wing 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
West Fox Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 71°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 74°F) and coldest in May (about 60°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 116 field readings (2017–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full West Fox Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for West Fox Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (222,844 cells/mL) on November 22, 2025.
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 | 55 ft |
| Surface Area | 449 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 5.2 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 31% |
| Public Access | No |
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 West Fox Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-28 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 47.34 | — |
| Bluegill | 25.69 | 0.1 lb |
| JND | 12.96 | — |
| BKF | 12.04 | — |
| IOD | 10.64 | — |
| MMS | 8.75 | — |
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
From the 2025-07-28 survey
West Fox Lake is a 449-acre lake near the town of Fifty Lakes in Crow Wing County. There is no public access on West Fox Lake, however it is possible to navigate from East Fox Lake which has a public access on the west side of the lake. Northern Pike is the primary management species, with Walleye and Largemouth Bass…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for West Fox Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — West FoxFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — West FoxFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.047 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | -0.09 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.12 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (5 observations).
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2024-03-15 (2024) | 2022-05-06 (2022) |
| Ice-In | 2023-12-09 (2023) | 2023-12-09 (2023) |
Most recent ice-out: 2024-03-15
EPA Impairment Status
West Fox 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 MN18-0297-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #13 of 85 lakes in Crow Wing County
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about West Fox Lake
What is the water quality grade for West Fox Lake?
- West Fox Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 15 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 55 ft. Surface area: 449.42 acres.
Is West Fox Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. West Fox Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 2.7 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of West Fox Lake?
- West Fox Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in August, from 116 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2017–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is West Fox Lake?
- West Fox Lake has a maximum depth of 55 feet. The lake covers 449.42 acres.
What fish are in West Fox Lake?
- Fish species found in West Fox Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. West Fox Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
When does West Fox Lake thaw?
- West Fox Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 19.
Does West Fox Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for West Fox Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (222,844 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Explore West Fox Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
187 measurements from 3 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
MNPCA187 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
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