Whiskey Lake
Douglas County, Minnesota160 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Whiskey Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- zebra mussel
- 46 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Whiskey Lake in Douglas County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 18.8 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 46 ft. Surface area: 159.52 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 19, 2021 caught 1.17 walleye per gill net at Whiskey Lake. DNR survey details →
Whiskey Lake is a 160-acre lake in Douglas County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 46 feet (12-foot average). The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-17. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Whiskey Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water18.8 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing13 species recorded
- Deep water46 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Whiskey Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Whiskey 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 Whiskey Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Whiskey 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 18.8 ft down. TSI 35.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 18.8ft | 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. | 35 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Whiskey Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Whiskey Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 77°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in Sep (about 68°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (68°F) to its warmest (77°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 27 field readings (2022–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Whiskey Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 19, 2021 caught 1.17 walleye per gill net at Whiskey Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Whiskey Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. 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: 2021-07-19 (Standard Survey).
12 surveys on file · most recent 2021-07-19 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 28.72 | 3–18 in 2021-07-19 | 1.28 lb |
| Bluegill | 24.49 | 3–10 in 2021-07-19 | 0.2 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 23.31 | 5–9 in 2021-07-19 | 0.29 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 22.81 | 9 in 2021-07-19 | 1.14 lb |
| Black Crappie | 13.02 | 4–13 in 2021-07-19 | 0.34 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.
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
Yellow Perch
Black Bullhead
From the 2021-07-19 survey
Whiskey Lake is a relatively small (158 acres), lightly developed basin located two miles northeast of Brandon in Douglas County. The lake has a maximum depth of 46 feet. Nearly half of the lake area is less than 15 feet deep. Water quality in Whiskey Lake has improved over the past two decades. The lake received…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Whiskey Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — WhiskeyFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Whiskey (1072)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — WhiskeyFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — WhiskeyPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
46 ft
Average depth
12 ft
Surface area
160 acres
Shoreline
2.4 mi
Littoral zone
46%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,348 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Whiskey LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
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Stays near Whiskey Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Whiskey Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Whiskey 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 MN21-0216-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Douglas County
Frequently asked questions about Whiskey Lake
Where is Whiskey Lake?
- Whiskey Lake is a lake in Douglas County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Whiskey Lake?
- Whiskey Lake in Douglas County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 18.8 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 46 ft. Surface area: 159.52 acres.
Is Whiskey Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Whiskey 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 Whiskey Lake?
- Whiskey Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September, from 27 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Whiskey Lake?
- Whiskey Lake has a maximum depth of 46 feet and an average depth of 12 feet. The lake covers 159.52 acres.
What fish are in Whiskey Lake?
- Fish species found in Whiskey Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Whiskey Lake is located in Douglas County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Whiskey Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 19, 2021 caught 1.17 walleye per gill net at Whiskey Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Whiskey Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Whiskey Lake?
- Whiskey Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Whiskey Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Whiskey Lake?
- Whiskey Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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
50 measurements from 2 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
MNPCA50 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory