Whitefish Lake

Details

DNR lake ID

18031000

County

Crow Wing

Surface area

7,714 acres

Maximum depth

138 feet

Shallow water (littoral) area

2,713 acres, 35% of the lake

Shoreline

32.2 miles

Average water clarity

11.8 feet (Secchi disk, 16 readings)

Nearest town (DNR)

Cross Lake

Latest DNR fish survey

September 2025, targeted survey

Surveys on record

28, since 1981

Game fish caught in the 2025 survey

walleye 10

Fish species recorded

black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, northern sunfish, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, yellow perch, and 29 other species

Stocked in 2025

walleye fry (5,000,000)

Stocked in 2024

walleye fingerlings (32,348); walleye yearlings (14,993); walleye fry (5,000,000); walleye fingerlings (4,501)

Stocked in 2023

walleye fry (5,000,000); walleye fingerlings (2,840)

Stocking years on record

10 of the last 10 (2016 to 2025)

Upper Whitefish Lake Public Water Access Site

trailer launch, concrete slab ramp, 1 dock, 25 trailer spaces, toilet, run by DNR Division of Parks and Trails

Whitefish Lake, Pig Bay Public Water Access

carry-in, run by Ideal Township

Infested waters list

zebra mussel

Special regulation, Whitefish Chain including connected Cross Lake Reservoir, Lower Hay, Arrowhead, Bertha, Clamshell, Big Trout, Pig, Island-Loon, Rush-Hen, Dagget, and Little Pine lakes

Crappie, Sunfish: Daily limit five.

Fish consumption

Follow the statewide guidelines; fish from this lake have been tested

Size

2,000 acres or more

Deepest point

60 feet or more

Public access

Yes

Stocked in the last 3 years

Yes

Sources

• Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
  Checked September 24, 2026
• Minnesota DNR Public Water Access Sites
  Checked September 24, 2026

Survey catches show what DNR nets and electrofishing found on the survey date, not how the fishing is today. Check the current regulations and the Department of Health advice before you keep fish, and confirm access conditions before you tow a boat.