Whitefish Lake
Whitefish Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 14.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 138 ft. Surface area: 7714.16 acres.
- Clarity
- 14.4 ft
- Max depth
- 138 ft
- Area
- 7,714 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 25
- Open water
- 229 days
Next lake in Crow Wing County
Free interactive depth-contour map of Whitefish Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 130 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Whitefish Lake is a 7,714-acre mesotrophic lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 138 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 23 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Crow Wing County, Whitefish Lake ranks #7 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-11. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Good clarity, visible to about 14.4 ft. Phosphorus level: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 2.7 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 40.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 14.4 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 14 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.7 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 40 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Whitefish Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Whitefish Lake in Crow Wing 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.
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Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Whitefish Lake → · more Minnesota lake trips
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Whitefish Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was low (10,965 cells/mL) on November 8, 2025.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 138 ft |
| Surface Area | 7,714 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 32.2 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 35% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Whitefish Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
28 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-09-17 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| LGP | 18.73 | — |
| Bluegill | 14.48 | 0.18 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 12.25 | 0.89 lb |
| BCS | 11.04 | — |
| LND | 11.04 | — |
| Walleye | 9.16 | 1.15 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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.
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Walleye
From the 2025-09-17 survey
The current management plan calls for 5 million Walleye fry to be stocked annually into Whitefish and another 880,000 into connected Cross Lake. Whitefish is also stocked in even numbered years with Walleye fingerlings at the rate of one pound per littoral acre (2,714 pounds). Prior to the current plan, Whitefish was…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Whitefish Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — WhitefishFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Whitefish (0015)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — WhitefishFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — WhitefishPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.043 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.47 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.46 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (34 observations).
Estimated open water season: 229 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2021-04-07 (2021) | 2013-05-14 (2013) |
| Ice-In | 2014-11-25 (2014) | 2024-01-04 (2024) |
Most recent ice-out: 2025-04-21
EPA Impairment Status
Whitefish Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN18-0310-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #7 of 85 lakes in Crow Wing County
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Whitefish Lake
What is the water quality grade for Whitefish Lake?
- Whitefish Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 14.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 138 ft. Surface area: 7714.16 acres.
Is Whitefish Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Whitefish Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 2.7 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Whitefish Lake?
- Whitefish Lake has a maximum depth of 138 feet. The lake covers 7714.16 acres.
What fish are in Whitefish Lake?
- Fish species found in Whitefish Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, burbot, greater redhorse, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, lake whitefish, largemouth bass, northern pike, northern sunfish, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, silver redhorse, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Whitefish Lake is located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota.
When does Whitefish Lake thaw?
- Whitefish Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 25. Ice typically forms around Dec 10. The open water season is approximately 229 days.
Does Whitefish Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Whitefish Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was low (10,965 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Explore Whitefish Lake across LakeGrade
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Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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Where this data comes from
396 measurements from 8 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
MNPCA396 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
Monitoring station identifiers (8)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate