Whiteface Reservoir
St. Louis County, Minnesota4,567 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Whiteface Reservoir. Here is what has been measured.
- 35 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Whiteface Reservoir in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 35 ft. Surface area: 4567.47 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 18, 2022 caught 9.67 walleye per gill net at Whiteface Reservoir. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–22 inches. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Whiteface Reservoir, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 40 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Whiteface Reservoir is a 4,567-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 35 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 11 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-14. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Whiteface Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Fishing11 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 21
- Deep water35 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water4,567 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Whiteface Reservoir 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 Whiteface Reservoir
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Whiteface Reservoir, 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 ft of visibility. TSI 61.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3ft | 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. | 61 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Whiteface Reservoir
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 18, 2022 caught 9.67 walleye per gill net at Whiteface Reservoir. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–22 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Whiteface Reservoir’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
8 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2022-07-18 (Standard Survey).
8 surveys on file · most recent 2022-07-18 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | 4.81 | 2–22 in 2022-07-18 | 0.88 lb |
| Bluegill | 2.78 | 3–10 in 2022-07-18 | 0.52 lb |
| White Sucker | 2.75 | 6–21 in 2022-07-18 | 2.78 lb |
| Black Crappie | 1.39 | 4–12 in 2022-07-18 | 0.44 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 1.24 | 5–13 in 2022-07-18 | 0.32 lb |
| Northern Pike | 1.23 | 12–28 in 2022-07-18 | 2.03 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.
Walleye
Bluegill
White Sucker
Black Crappie
From the 2022-07-18 survey
Whiteface Reservoir was established in 1923 as a hydropower water storage reservoir when earthen dams were constructed on the Whiteface River and Skunk Creek. Much of the reservoir basin is flooded forest. At summertime highs, the reservoir occupies 4,567 acres and has a maximum depth of 35 feet. The reservoir is…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Whiteface Reservoir. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Whiteface ReservoirFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Whiteface Reservoir (0983)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Whiteface ReservoirPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
35 ft
Surface area
4,567 acres
Shoreline
93 mi
Littoral zone
24%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
146 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,440 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Whiteface Reservoir (South)Public
- USFS Campgrounds (North)Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Whiteface Reservoir
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Whiteface Reservoir
- → Whiteface Reservoir fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Whiteface Reservoir fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Whiteface Reservoir fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Whiteface Reservoir? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 21
Earliest Apr 12, 2015 · Latest May 3, 2008
Typical ice-in
Nov 20
Earliest Nov 7, 2019 · Latest Nov 29, 2004
Most recent ice-out
Apr 12
2015
20 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Whiteface Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Whiteface Lake (completed 1922), built primarily for hydroelectric on the Skunk River, Whiteface River; earth-type dam, 40 ft tall and 1,365 ft long.
- Surface area
- 4,800 ac
- Normal storage
- 46,900 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 46,900 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 116 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Allete, Inc.
All listed purposes: Hydroelectric;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00610 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County
Frequently asked questions about Whiteface Reservoir
Where is Whiteface Reservoir?
- Whiteface Reservoir 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 Whiteface Reservoir?
- Whiteface Reservoir in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 35 ft. Surface area: 4567.47 acres.
Is Whiteface Reservoir safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Whiteface Reservoir?
- Whiteface Reservoir has a maximum depth of 35 feet. The lake covers 4567.47 acres.
What fish are in Whiteface Reservoir?
- Fish species found in Whiteface Reservoir include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, hybrid sunfish, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Whiteface Reservoir is located in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Whiteface Reservoir?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 18, 2022 caught 9.67 walleye per gill net at Whiteface Reservoir. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–22 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Whiteface Reservoir’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Whiteface Reservoir thaw?
- Whiteface Reservoir typically has ice-out around Apr 21. Ice typically forms around Nov 20. The open water season is approximately 213 days.
Are there boat ramps on Whiteface Reservoir?
- Whiteface Reservoir has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Whiteface Reservoir (South), USFS Campgrounds (North). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Whiteface Reservoir?
- Whiteface Reservoir has 2 documented boat landings 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 Whiteface Reservoir across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
140 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
MNPCA140 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
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