Whitefish Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota7,714 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Whitefish Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- zebra mussel
- 138 ft max depth
- Public access
Whitefish Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 29, 2024 caught 4.29 walleye per gill net at Whitefish Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–22 inches. DNR survey details →
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. 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. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
At about 7,700 acres, Whitefish Lake is large enough that where you stay decides which shore you see most of. The median ice-out date is April 25, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Whitefish Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Whitefish Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water14.4 ft of visibility
- Fishing23 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 25
- Deep water138 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water7,714 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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. Whitefish Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Whitefish 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 Whitefish Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Whitefish Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 14.4 ft. Phosphorus 14 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.7 µg/L. TSI 40.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 14.4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 14µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.7µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 40 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Whitefish Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
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 ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 29, 2024 caught 4.29 walleye per gill net at Whitefish Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–22 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Whitefish Lake’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
28 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-09-17 (Targeted Survey).
28 surveys on file · most recent 2025-09-17 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 14.48 | 3–9 in 2024-07-29 | 0.18 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 12.25 | 1–19 in 2024-07-29 | 0.89 lb |
| Walleye | 9.16 | 8–22 in 2025-09-17 | 1.15 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.
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
Lake Details
Max depth
138 ft
Surface area
7,714 acres
Shoreline
32.2 mi
Littoral zone
35%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Stays via Stay22
Stays 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Whitefish Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Whitefish Lake → · more Minnesota lake trips
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every 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.
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.47 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.46 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 25
Earliest Apr 7, 2021 · Latest May 14, 2013
Typical ice-in
Dec 10
Earliest Nov 25, 2014 · Latest Jan 4, 2024
Most recent ice-out
Apr 21
2025
34 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
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
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN18-0310-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Crow Wing County
Frequently asked questions about Whitefish Lake
Where is Whitefish Lake?
- Whitefish Lake is a lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Whitefish Lake?
- Whitefish Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Whitefish Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
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.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Whitefish Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 29, 2024 caught 4.29 walleye per gill net at Whitefish Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–22 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Whitefish Lake’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 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.
Can I fish at Whitefish Lake?
- Public access to Whitefish Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 Whitefish Lake across LakeQuality
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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)
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate