Minnesota · Crow Wing County
Whitefish Lake Fishing guide
Whitefish Lake covers 709 acres in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, reaching 62 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 11 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 7 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Largemouth bassJust a few0.5per hr (electrofishing)14"Typical18"Biggest
Lengths measured · 10 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 10 fish
2025Lengths measured · 53 fish
2017Lengths measured · 80 fish
1997Northern pikeFair numbers9.4per gill net20"Typical34"Biggest
Lengths measured · 92 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 92 fish
2025Lengths measured · 85 fish
2017Lengths measured · 28 fish
1997BluegillJust a few11.4per trap net5"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 117 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 117 fish
2025Lengths measured · 84 fish
2017Lengths measured · 168 fish
1997Rock bassFair numbers1per gill net8"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 10 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 10 fish
2025Lengths measured · 1 fish
2017Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 23 fish
1997Rates come from standard DNR survey gear (gill nets, trap nets, electrofishing), judged against statewide benchmarks for the same gear, so the same number of fish per net can read differently for two species. Where the standard gear can't count a species reliably, only presence and size are listed. Typical is the middle fish of those measured. Open a row for the full length spread, survey by survey.
How to fish Whitefish Lake through the year
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 11 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- Early summer
- Pike are on the outside weed edge and points.
- Summer
- Pike are on the deep weed edge and points near the coolest water they can find. On a lake that drops to 62 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 11 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- Early summer
- Walleye are setting up on the outside weed edge, points and shallow structure.
- Summer
- Walleye are working the weed edge, points and any wind-blown structure. On a lake that drops to 62 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.
Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.
Size history
Biggest fish by survey year
| Survey year | Northern pike | Walleye | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 34" | 21" | 18" |
| 2017 | 37" | 26" | 18" |
| 1997 | 33" | 23" | 18" |
Longest fish measured by DNR survey crews in each year's nets. Survey gear samples the population, so the lake usually holds larger fish than any survey measured.
Suggested tackle
What to bring
Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Muskie & pike
Soft Rubber (Bull Dawg / Medusa)
10" soft rubber body bait
Walleye · Live bait
Live-Bait (Lindy) Rig + Leech/Crawler
jumbo leech or half a nightcrawler
Walleye · Trolling
Leadcore Line + Crankbaits
4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Free Rig
Creature bait or magnum finesse worm
Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Whitefish Lake, which is located partially within the Mille Lac Nation, was conducted on June 30-July 2, 2025, by Lake Biological Monitoring and Assessment Program (LBMA). Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at 14 sampling stations. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample seven stations, and a 15-foot seine was used at five stations. Two stations were not seined due to dense vegetation, detritus, and soft substrate made traversing difficult. Nearshore sampling captured 18 species of fish including five species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass) and one species that are tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Green Sunfish).
A concurrent summer trap net and gill net survey was also conducted by LBMA staff. Nine trap nets were set along the shoreline in locations that encompassed multiple habitat types. Trap net sampling captured eleven species of fish. Bluegill comprised a majority of the catch by number, whereas Bowfin and Bluegill comprised the trap net majority by biomass. The trap net catch was relatively light overall. Nine gill nets were set in deeper locations that encompassed multiple habitat types. Gill net sampling captured 13 species of fish, including two that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Cisco and Rock Bass) and one species that is tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Black Bullhead). Northern Pike comprised the gill net majority by biomass, followed by Cisco and Largemouth Bass.
Read the full DNR narrative
The nearshore, trap net, and gill net data were used to describe the fish community and provide a fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Blackchin Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Green Sunfish and Common Carp). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website.
Temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Whitefish Lake on July 31st, 2025, to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Cisco, also known as Tullibee, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake. During the summer, Cisco require a layer of oxythermal habitat that contains water temperatures below 21.2 degrees C (70.2 degrees F) and dissolved oxygen concentrations above 3.0 mg/L. Based on the profile from the deepest basin (maximum sampled depth 57.1 feet), the water temperature decreased below 21.2 degrees C (70.2 degrees F) at 16.4 feet and the dissolved oxygen concentration decreased to 3.0 mg/L at 15.2 feet at the time of sampling. Therefore, the water column did not contain a layer of water with sufficient temperature and dissolved oxygen for Cisco.
Further, the temperature at which dissolved oxygen decreased to 3.0 mg/L (i.e., TDO3, a single variable to characterize oxythermal habitat) was 22.4 degrees C (72.3 degrees F). TDO3 values warmer than 21.2 degrees C (70.2 degrees F) indicate that oxythermal conditions were unsuitable for Cisco at the time of the survey.
Data collected by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources during the window of maximum oxythermal stress (July 26th to Aug 24th) in 2023 and 2024 indicate suitable but limited habitat.The least favorable conditions were recorded in 2025. When inadequate oxythermal habitat is available, Cisco are squeezed into unfavorable, warmer water conditions and experience higher levels of stress.
The FIBI and oxythermal habitat survey results will be considered when the biological health of the lake is assessed during the Rum River Watershed assessment process, which will be completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency. You can help protect the fish community in Whitefish Lake by reducing runoff, maintaining natural shorelines, and preventing the spread of invasive species.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Whitefish Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Whitefish Lake from guides, tournaments and regular anglers. Anything posted in the last two weeks also bumps the matching spots on the live map, so you'll see a "matches a recent report" tag on them.
DNR bathymetry
Whitefish Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Camp Lake · 534 ac · 3.4 mi
- Holt Lake · 164 ac · 3.6 mi
- Erskine Lake · 182 ac · 3.8 mi
- Rock Lake · 203 ac · 4.3 mi
- Smith Lake · 491 ac · 4.6 mi
- Barbour Lake · 56 ac · 4.9 mi
- Long Lake · 126 ac · 4.9 mi
- Platte Lake · 1,663 ac · 5.9 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Whitefish Lake?
Whitefish Lake reaches 62 ft at its deepest point; about 60% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Whitefish Lake?
Whitefish Lake covers 709 acres with about 7.8 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Whitefish Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Whitefish Lake average 11 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Whitefish Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Whitefish Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Whitefish Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
How big do northern pike get in Whitefish Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 34"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1997.
When was Whitefish Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Whitefish Lake in 2025, the most recent of 7 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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