Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest July 18, 2022
Whiteface Reservoir FishingNRNot rated for water quality
Minnesota DNR surveys at Whiteface Reservoir average 4.81 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 8 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 18, 2022. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–22 inches. In St. Louis County, Minnesota, Whiteface Reservoir has no letter grade — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Water clarity averages 3.0 feet of visibility, and there are 2 public boat landings. The survey figures on this page are Minnesota DNR's own; the water-quality grade comes from EPA Water Quality Portal samples. Neither is a forecast of today's bite.
Species recorded at Whiteface Reservoir
11 species on the Minnesota DNR list for this lake. A species on the list has been recorded here; it does not mean it is catchable today or in every part of the lake.
Stocking at Whiteface Reservoir
No stocking record for Whiteface Reservoir appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is an absence in the published record, not a confirmation that the lake is unstocked — some waters are managed as naturally reproducing and never appear in a stocking list at all.
Getting on the water
2 public boat landings are recorded on Whiteface Reservoir. Minnesota DNR lists the public access sites, including ramp type and parking, in the documents below.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR surveys at Whiteface Reservoir average 4.81 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 8 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 18, 2022. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–22 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on Whiteface Reservoir — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, 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).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Walleye | 4.81 | 0.88 lb |
| Bluegill | 2.78 | 0.52 lb |
| White Sucker | 2.75 | 2.78 lb |
| Black Crappie | 1.39 | 0.44 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 1.24 | 0.32 lb |
| Northern Pike | 1.23 | 2.03 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE means more abundant in standardized sampling. This 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
Common questions
What fish are in Whiteface Reservoir?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Whiteface Reservoir average 4.81 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 8 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated July 18, 2022. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 2–22 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 11 species for the lake in total. Those are survey results, not a catch report: a net set on one date measures what was in that net.
When was Whiteface Reservoir last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Whiteface Reservoir is dated July 18, 2022. Survey intervals vary by lake and by species; a gap of several years between surveys is normal and does not mean the record is missing.
Is Whiteface Reservoir stocked?
No stocking record for Whiteface Reservoir appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is not the same as a confirmed unstocked lake: it means no stocking document was published for it in the records this page draws on.
Does the water-quality grade tell me how Whiteface Reservoir fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on Whiteface Reservoir — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, 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.
Before you eat what you catch
A water-quality grade is not a consumption advisory. Mercury and PCB advice for Minnesota waters comes from MDH, and it is issued per species and per size class — a lake can grade well and still carry a meal limit on larger predator fish.
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