Wolf Lake
Becker County, Minnesota1,460 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Wolf Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 16 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Wolf Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 25 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 16 ft. Surface area: 1459.83 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 20, 2016 caught 0.78 walleye per gill net at Wolf Lake. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Wolf Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 10 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Wolf Lake is a 1,460-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Becker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 16 feet. The lake supports 11 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 83 other monitored lakes in Becker County, Wolf Lake ranks #60 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-09-07. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Wolf Lake covers about 1,500 acres in Becker County. It has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Wolf Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Wolf Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing11 species recorded
- Big water1,460 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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 Wolf 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 Wolf Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Wolf 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 25 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.9 µg/L. TSI 52.
| 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 | 25µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 6.9µg/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. | 52 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Wolf Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Wolf Lake typically sits around 73°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in May (about 50°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (50°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 17 field readings (2022–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Wolf Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 20, 2016 caught 0.78 walleye per gill net at Wolf Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Wolf Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
6 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2016-06-20 (Standard Survey).
6 surveys on file · most recent 2016-06-20 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 165.04 | 3–10 in 2016-06-20 | 0.12 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 14.46 | 5–12 in 2016-06-20 | 0.15 lb |
| Bluegill | 11.68 | 3–9 in 2016-06-20 | 0.15 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 10.52 | 3–7 in 2016-06-20 | 0.08 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 8.95 | 5–12 in 2016-06-20 | 0.49 lb |
| Northern Pike | 6.31 | 10–27 in 2016-06-20 | 1.9 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
Bluegill
Pumpkinseed
From the 2016-06-20 survey
Fish communities are dynamic in all lakes and streams, constantly changing due to weather patterns, habitat alterations, stocking, fishing pressure and many other influences. In Wolf Lake, winterkill greatly increases the intensity of these fish population shifts. Historically, the lake has been known for "boom or…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Wolf Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — WolfFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Wolf (1016)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — WolfFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — WolfPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
16 ft
Surface area
1,460 acres
Shoreline
14.3 mi
Littoral zone
99%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
19 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,519 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Wolf 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 Wolf Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Wolf Lake in Becker 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 Wolf Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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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 Wolf Lake
Nearby Lakes in Becker County
Frequently asked questions about Wolf Lake
Where is Wolf Lake?
- Wolf Lake is a lake in Becker County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Wolf Lake?
- Wolf Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 25 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 16 ft. Surface area: 1459.83 acres.
Is Wolf Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Wolf Lake?
- Wolf Lake typically sits around 73°F at the surface in September, from 17 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Wolf Lake?
- Wolf Lake has a maximum depth of 16 feet. The lake covers 1459.83 acres.
What fish are in Wolf Lake?
- Fish species found in Wolf Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Wolf Lake is located in Becker County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Wolf Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 20, 2016 caught 0.78 walleye per gill net at Wolf Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Wolf Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Wolf Lake?
- Wolf Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Wolf Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Wolf Lake?
- Wolf 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 Wolf Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
16 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA16 samples · 2022
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by 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