West Fox Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota449 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for West Fox Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 55 ft max depth
West Fox Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 28, 2025 caught 0.89 walleye per gill net at West Fox Lake. DNR survey details →
West Fox Lake is a 449-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 55 feet. 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. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
West Fox Lake covers about 450 acres in Crow Wing County. The median ice-out date is April 19, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near West Fox Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What West Fox Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water15 ft of visibility
- Fishing15 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 19
- Deep water55 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. West Fox Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether West Fox 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 West Fox Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for West Fox Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 15 ft down. Phosphorus 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.7 µg/L. TSI 39.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 15ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 12µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.7µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 39 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about West Fox Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
West Fox Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September. 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.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (60°F) to its warmest (74°F).
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 ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 28, 2025 caught 0.89 walleye per gill net at West Fox Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows West Fox Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-28 (Standard Survey).
12 surveys on file · most recent 2025-07-28 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 47.34 | ||
| Bluegill | 25.69 | 3–8 in 2025-07-28 | 0.1 lb |
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.
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
Lake Details
Max depth
55 ft
Surface area
449 acres
Shoreline
5.2 mi
Littoral zone
31%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Stays via Stay22
Stays 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.
Top-rated places to stay near West Fox Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing West Fox Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.09 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.12 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 19
Earliest Mar 15, 2024 · Latest May 6, 2022
Most recent ice-out
Mar 15
2024
5 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
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
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN18-0297-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about West Fox Lake
Where is West Fox Lake?
- West Fox Lake is a lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of West Fox Lake?
- West Fox Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. West Fox Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of West Fox Lake?
- West Fox Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September, 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.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at West Fox Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 28, 2025 caught 0.89 walleye per gill net at West Fox Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows West Fox Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
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.
Can I fish at West Fox Lake?
- Public access to West Fox 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 West Fox Lake across LakeQuality
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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)
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 details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate