White Oak Lake
Itasca County, MinnesotaView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for White Oak Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 34 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
White Oak Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 44 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 13.4 µg/L.
White Oak Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with an estimated average depth of about 34 feet. Phosphorus level is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 71 other monitored lakes in Itasca County, White Oak Lake ranks #70 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-06-25. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What White Oak Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether White Oak 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 Oak Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for White Oak Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 3.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 44 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 13.4 µg/L. TSI 58.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 44µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 13.4µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 58 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about White Oak Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
White Oak Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 73°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 (73°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 16 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full White Oak Lake water temperature breakdown →
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for White Oak Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Aquatic Plant Report — White Oak (0665)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — White OakPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
~34 ft est.
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Minnesota has not published bathymetry for White Oak Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
3,022 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
912 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
7.9 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,266 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- White Oak 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 Oak Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near White Oak Lake in Itasca 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around White Oak Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near White Oak Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
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Fishing White Oak Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2024–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Stable2 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+6.5 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-8.3 µg/L/yr2 years
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about White Oak Lake
Where is White Oak Lake?
- White Oak Lake is a lake in Itasca 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 Oak Lake?
- White Oak Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 44 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 13.4 µg/L.
Is White Oak Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of White Oak Lake?
- White Oak Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September, from 16 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is White Oak Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers White Oak Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 34 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on White Oak Lake?
- White Oak Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include White Oak Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at White Oak Lake?
- White Oak 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 Oak Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
21 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA21 samples · 2024–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory