White Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota123 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for White Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 29 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
White Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 29 ft. Surface area: 123.07 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 14, 2017 caught 7.83 walleye per gill net at White Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–21 inches. DNR survey details →
White Lake is a 123-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 29 feet (9-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 8 documented fish species including black crappie, largemouth bass, and northern pike. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-09. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What White Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing8 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 23
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. White Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether White 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 White Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for White Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 11.5 ft. Phosphorus 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.8 µg/L. TSI 42.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 10µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 5.8µg/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. | 42 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about White Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
White Lake typically sits around 60°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 69°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 72°F) and coldest in May (about 54°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (54°F) to its warmest (72°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 96 field readings (2016–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full White Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 14, 2017 caught 7.83 walleye per gill net at White Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–21 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows White Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
5 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2017-08-14 (Standard Survey).
5 surveys on file · most recent 2017-08-14 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pumpkinseed | 5.25 | 5 in 2017-08-14 | 0.2 lb |
| Black Crappie | 4.66 | 13–14 in 2017-08-14 | 0.47 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 4.60 | 5–8 in 2017-08-14 | 0.12 lb |
| Rock Bass | 3.82 | 5–10 in 2017-08-14 | 0.41 lb |
| Walleye | 3.07 | 8–21 in 2017-08-14 | 1.71 lb |
| Northern Pike | 2.40 | 18–28 in 2017-08-14 | 3.37 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.
Pumpkinseed
Black Crappie
Yellow Perch
Rock Bass
From the 2017-08-14 survey
A standard survey was conducted on White Lake during the summer of 2017 to evaluate the Walleye stocking program and update information about other fish populations. Walleye and Black Crappie are the primary management species for White Lake. Walleye are stocked every other year in White Lake. Walleye abundance of 7.8…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for White Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — WhiteFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — White (0496)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — WhiteFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — WhitePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
29 ft
Average depth
8.5 ft
Surface area
123 acres
Shoreline
2.3 mi
Littoral zone
80%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
36 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,496 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- White LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near White Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near White Lake in St. Louis 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 White Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing White Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 23
Earliest Apr 12, 2017 · Latest May 8, 2022
Typical ice-in
Nov 13
Earliest Nov 10, 2017 · Latest Nov 22, 2015
Most recent ice-out
May 8
2022
8 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
White 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 MN69-0030-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County
Frequently asked questions about White Lake
Where is White Lake?
- White Lake is a lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of White Lake?
- White Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 29 ft. Surface area: 123.07 acres.
Is White Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. White Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of White Lake?
- White Lake typically sits around 60°F at the surface in October, from 96 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is White Lake?
- White Lake has a maximum depth of 29 feet and an average depth of 8.5 feet. The lake covers 123.07 acres.
What fish are in White Lake?
- Fish species found in White Lake include black crappie, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. White Lake is located in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at White Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 14, 2017 caught 7.83 walleye per gill net at White Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–21 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows White Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does White Lake thaw?
- White Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 23. Ice typically forms around Nov 13. The open water season is approximately 204 days.
Are there boat ramps on White Lake?
- White Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include White Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at White Lake?
- White 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.
Explore White Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
44 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA43 samples · 2020–2024 - Minnesota Department of Agriculture - Pesticide Monitoring
MNDA_PESTICIDE1 sample · 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 (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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate