Whiteface Reservoir

Whiteface Reservoir grades an F: water clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate poorly, placing it among the most stressed lakes monitored in Minnesota. Sub-grades cluster within a single letter of each other, which usually means the lake is in stable trophic balance rather than fighting one specific stressor.

Eutrophic conditions are the baseline here: clarity drops noticeably in late summer, and dissolved oxygen near the bottom can become a concern. A maximum depth of 35 ft puts Whiteface Reservoir in the middle of Minnesota's depth distribution. Whiteface Reservoir covers 4,567 acres alongside 93.0 miles of shoreline, large enough that conditions can vary meaningfully between bays. Within the 187 graded lakes of St. Louis County, Whiteface Reservoir sits at rank 182, near the bottom of the county list.

Whiteface Reservoir has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2024, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 11 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. A documented public access point at Whiteface Reservoir makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. Ice-out has been recorded 9 times at Whiteface Reservoir, with a median around Apr 21. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.