Wolf Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota456 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Wolf Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 12 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Wolf Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 12 ft. Surface area: 455.63 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 13, 2018 caught 4.00 walleye per gill net at Wolf Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–21 inches. DNR survey details →
Wolf Lake is a 456-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 12 feet (5-foot average). The lake supports 8 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and hybrid sunfish. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-10-10. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Wolf Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing8 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Wolf Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) 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.
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility. TSI 67.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 67 | 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 49°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 68°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 69°F) and coldest in Oct (about 49°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (49°F) to its warmest (69°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 12 field readings (2022–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Wolf Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 13, 2018 caught 4.00 walleye per gill net at Wolf Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–21 inches.
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
5 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2018-08-13 (Standard Survey).
5 surveys on file · most recent 2018-08-13 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Sucker | 6.47 | 7–23 in 2018-08-13 | 2.12 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 2.44 | 5–10 in 2018-08-13 | 0.18 lb |
| Black Crappie | 2.25 | 4–12 in 2018-08-13 | 0.42 lb |
| Walleye | 1.88 | 5–21 in 2018-08-13 | 2.17 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 1.27 | 4–8 in 2018-08-13 | 0.2 lb |
| Northern Pike | 1.19 | 10–36 in 2018-08-13 | 1.87 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.
White Sucker
Yellow Perch
Black Crappie
Walleye
From the 2018-08-13 survey
Wolf Lake is a shallow, man-made reservoir located 15 miles northwest of Two Harbors, Minnesota. Wolf Lake is 456 acres, has a maximum depth of 12 feet, and is in lake class 12. The lake lies within both the Superior National Forest and the Cloquet Valley State Forest and is accessible by a public access at the south…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Wolf Lake. 3 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 (1029)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — WolfPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
12 ft
Average depth
5 ft
Surface area
456 acres
Shoreline
10.1 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
28 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 St. Louis 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
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Wolf Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Wolf Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Wolf Lake (completed 1941), built primarily for recreation on the Wolf Creek; gravity-type dam, 16 ft tall and 68 ft long.
- Surface area
- 467 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,102 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 3,503 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 32.9 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MNDNR
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00003 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Wolf Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN69-0143-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County
Frequently asked questions about Wolf Lake
Where is Wolf Lake?
- Wolf Lake is a lake in St. Louis 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 St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 12 ft. Surface area: 455.63 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 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Wolf Lake?
- Wolf Lake typically sits around 49°F at the surface in October, from 12 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 12 feet and an average depth of 5 feet. The lake covers 455.63 acres.
What fish are in Wolf Lake?
- Fish species found in Wolf Lake include black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Wolf Lake is located in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Wolf Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 13, 2018 caught 4.00 walleye per gill net at Wolf Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–21 inches. 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
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in St. Louis County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Top lakes and where to stay in the Lake Vermilion Area area
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Lake Superior Basin (MN+WI), ranked by water quality
Lakes in the Rainy Lake Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
State Parks Near Wolf Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Eutrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
5 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
MNPCA5 samples · 2022
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory