Wolf Lake
Beltrami County, Minnesota1,076 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Wolf Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- zebra mussel
- 57 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Wolf Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 57 ft. Surface area: 1076.16 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 10, 2019 caught 6.25 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Wolf Lake. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Wolf Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 50 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Wolf Lake is a 1,076-acre mesotrophic lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 57 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 18 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Beltrami County, Wolf Lake ranks #27 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-09-19. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Wolf Lake covers about 1,100 acres in Beltrami County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 25, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Wolf Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Wolf Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing18 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 25
- Deep water57 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water1,076 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. Wolf Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. 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.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9 ft. Phosphorus 19 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.3 µg/L. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 19µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 5.3µg/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. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Wolf Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 10, 2019 caught 6.25 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing 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, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-07 (Targeted Survey).
10 surveys on file · most recent 2025-08-07 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 38.46 | 4–10 in 2019-07-08 | 0.17 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 30.99 | ||
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 7.11 | 14–17 in 2019-07-08 | 1.08 lb |
| Walleye | 6.33 | 7–23 in 2019-07-08 | 1.41 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.
Yellow Perch
Tullibee (Cisco)
Walleye
From the 2025-08-07 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Wolf Lake, which is located partially within the Leech Lake Reservation, on August 7th, 2025, to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (oxythermal habitat) available to coldwater fish species such as Cisco,…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Wolf Lake. 5 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 (1277)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Wolf (1724)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
57 ft
Surface area
1,076 acres
Shoreline
8 mi
Littoral zone
36%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
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 Beltrami 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.
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 →
Follow Wolf Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Wolf 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: Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.44 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-3.5 µg/L/yr2 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 25
Earliest Apr 5, 2021 · Latest May 7, 2022
Typical ice-in
Dec 1
Earliest Nov 28, 2023 · Latest Dec 7, 2021
Most recent ice-out
Apr 25
2025
13 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Wolf 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 MN04-0079-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Beltrami County
Frequently asked questions about Wolf Lake
Where is Wolf Lake?
- Wolf Lake is a lake in Beltrami 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 Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 57 ft. Surface area: 1076.16 acres.
Is Wolf Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Wolf Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Wolf Lake?
- Wolf Lake has a maximum depth of 57 feet. The lake covers 1076.16 acres.
What fish are in Wolf Lake?
- Fish species found in Wolf Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, burbot, greater redhorse, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Wolf Lake is located in Beltrami County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Wolf Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 10, 2019 caught 6.25 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing 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, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Wolf Lake thaw?
- Wolf Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 25. Ice typically forms around Dec 1. The open water season is approximately 220 days.
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
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Beltrami County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
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Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
40 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA40 samples · 2020–2021
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate