Whitefish Lake
Polk County, Minnesota243 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Whitefish Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 18 ft max depth
- Public access
Whitefish Lake in Polk County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 44 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 28.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 18 ft. Surface area: 242.75 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 4, 2025 caught 11.33 walleye per gill net at Whitefish Lake. DNR survey details →
Whitefish Lake is a 243-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Polk County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 18 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 15 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 18 other monitored lakes in Polk County, Whitefish Lake ranks #11 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Whitefish Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing15 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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. 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.
Murky, only visible to about 3.9 ft. Phosphorus 44 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 28.2 µg/L. TSI 60.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 44µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 28.2µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 60 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Whitefish Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 4, 2025 caught 11.33 walleye per gill net at Whitefish Lake.
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
7 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-04 (Standard Survey).
7 surveys on file · most recent 2025-08-04 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 147.54 | 4–10 in 2025-08-04 | 0.18 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 20.73 | 5–6 in 2025-08-04 | 0.24 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 14.57 | ||
| Pumpkinseed | 13.59 | 3–5 in 2025-08-04 | 0.1 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.
Black Bullhead
Yellow Perch
Pumpkinseed
From the 2025-08-04 survey
Whitefish Lake is 226-acres with a maximum depth of 18 feet. Blue-green algal blooms are common during most summers and dissolved oxygen can become low during severe winters leading to periodic winterkills. The last known winterkill occurred in the winter of 2017-2018. A standard survey was completed on Whitefish Lake…
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 (1953)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
18 ft
Surface area
243 acres
Shoreline
2.8 mi
Littoral zone
75%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
12 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,296 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Whitefish LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Whitefish Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Whitefish Lake in Polk 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Whitefish Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Whitefish Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Whitefish Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+2.3 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+3.28 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Polk County
Frequently asked questions about Whitefish Lake
Where is Whitefish Lake?
- Whitefish Lake is a lake in Polk 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 Polk County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 44 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 28.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 18 ft. Surface area: 242.75 acres.
Is Whitefish Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Whitefish Lake?
- Whitefish Lake has a maximum depth of 18 feet. The lake covers 242.75 acres.
What fish are in Whitefish Lake?
- Fish species found in Whitefish Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Whitefish Lake is located in Polk County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Whitefish Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 4, 2025 caught 11.33 walleye per gill net at Whitefish Lake. 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.
Are there boat ramps on Whitefish Lake?
- Whitefish Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Whitefish Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Whitefish Lake?
- Whitefish Lake has 1 documented boat landing 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 Whitefish Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
90 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA90 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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