Whitefish

Whitefish Lake is a 128-acre lake with a maximum depth of 30 feet located 1 mile northeast of Pinewood in Beltrami County. There is a County-owned public water access located on the northeast shore of the lake with an earthen ramp and parking for 3 vehicles/trailers. Whitefish Lake is managed primarily for Bluegill and Black Crappie, with Walleye managed as a secondary species. The 2025 Bluegill trap net catch rate of 5.4 fish/net declined from 9.3 fish/net in 2015 but good size structure remained intact. The average size of Bluegill captured was 6.7 inches in length, with fish up to 10.2 inches captured in the survey. A good portion of the trap net catch exceeded 8 inches in length. Growth rates were above average with fish reaching 8 inches in length between 4 and 5 years of age. The 2025 catch rate for Northern Pike was 13.6 fish/gill net, which is relatively high for a lake like Whitefish. The average size of pike captured in the survey was 17.6 inches in length and 1.3 lbs/fish with pike exceeding 31 inches in length present. Whitefish Lake is stocked with Walleye fry on alternate years which has provided some Walleye fishing opportunity at times. The 2025 survey only captured one, 20-inch Walleye. Walleye numbers in Whitefish Lake have steadily declined over the last decade. Walleye anglers may want to consider one of the many other lakes in the Bemidji area that have more consistent Walleye fishing than Whitefish Lake. Black Crappie catch rates were slightly below average compared to similar lakes. The few Black Crappie captured in the survey (13 total) measured up to 12.9 inches in length. As with most lakes, the crappie population is likely cyclic and may provide good angling opportunity at times. Other species of fish captured in the 2025 survey were Brown Bullhead, Largemouth Bass, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, Yellow Bullhead, and Yellow Perch.

Whitefish Lake is a 128-acre lake, located in southwestern Beltrami County. A targeted survey was completed on Whitefish Lake by Bemidji Area Fisheries staff during July of 2025 to assess the nearshore fish community and overall health of the lake. In this survey, 10 nearshore sites (100-foot) were evenly spaced along the lakeshore to sample a variety of aquatic habitat types and collect a representative sample of the nearshore fish community. Depending on the habitat conditions at each site, backpack electrofishing and shoreline seining were attempted where possible. All 10 sites were completed with backpack electrofishing and six sites with shoreline seining. A total of seven species were captured. Nearshore fish community data was analyzed with information collected from the standard survey in 2025 to calculate a Fish-based Index of Biotic Integrity (FIBI) score to measure the biological condition and overall health of Whitefish Lake. In Minnesota, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and healthy habitat (e.g. Blacknose Shiner, Mimic Shiner, Tullibee (cisco), Mottled Sculpin), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g. Black Bullhead, Fathead Minnow, Green Sunfish). The combination of fish species present may identify stressors negatively affecting the lake environment. The FIBI score is composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics to indicate the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on FIBI search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website (www.mndnr.gov). Results of this survey indicate Whitefish Lake is in good health with a FIBI score above the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. In coordination with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Clearwater River Watershed assessment.

Whitefish Lake is a 125-acre lake with a maximum depth of 30 feet located 1 mile northeast of Pinewood in Beltrami County. There is a County-owned public water access located on the northeast shore of the lake with an earthen ramp and parking for 3 vehicles/trailers. Whitefish Lake is managed primarily for Bluegill and Black Crappie, with Walleye managed as a secondary species. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has classified Minnesota lakes into 43 different lake classes based on physical characteristics and the fish community present in the lake. Whitefish Lake is in lake class 31. The following discussion makes comparisons between Whitefish Lake and other class 31 lakes in the state. Other Bemidji area lakes in this class include Julia, Little Wolf, and Deer Lake. Whitefish Lake is managed as an occasional winterkill lake, although extensive winterkill of fish has not occurred in some time. The 2015 survey documented a variety of sizes and ages of many of the gamefish species found in the lake, which indicates that those populations of fish are surviving, reproducing successfully and exhibiting good growth rates. The 2015 Bluegill trap net catch rate of 9.33/trap net was within the normal range of 6.14/trap net to 46.60/trap net for class 31 lakes. The average size of Bluegill captured was 7.38 inches in length, with fish up to 9.21 inches in length captured in the survey. A good portion of the trap net catch exceeded 8 inches in length. An electrofishing assessment targeting Largemouth Bass was conducted as part of the 2015 survey. The catch rate of 20.92 bass per hour was wasn't the highest measured in the Bemidji area but shows a good population of Largemouth Bass in Whitefish Lake. Bass captured ranged from 9.61 inches to 18.03 inches in length with an average size of 15.18 inches in length. The 2015 catch rate for Northern Pike was 10.33/gill net, which was near the top of the range for class 31 lakes (3.5/gill net to 10.5/gill net). The average size of Pike captured in the survey was 19.81 inches in length and 2.20 lbs/fish with pike up to 36.14 inches in length present. Whitefish Lake is stocked with Walleye fry on alternate years and has provided some Walleye fishing opportunity at times. The 2015 survey showed few Walleye in the lake. The catch rate (0.50/gill net) was below the normal range of 1.33/gill net to 5.0/gill net for class 31 lakes. Walleye numbers in Whitefish Lake have declined since the most recent assessment in 2007 (2.33/gill net). Walleye anglers may want to consider one of the many other lakes in the Bemidji area that have more consistent Walleye fishing than Whitefish Lake. Black Crappie catch rates were also below the normal range for class 31 lakes and down from historic surveys. The few Black Crappie captured in the survey (6 total) measured up to 11.97 inches in length. As with Walleye, anglers seeking Black Crappie may want to give Whitefish Lake a pass and focus their efforts on one of the many other quality crappie lakes in the Bemidji Area. Other species of fish captured in the 2015 survey were Yellow Perch, Rock Bass, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, and Brown Bullhead.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Bluegill, Black Crappie, Northern Pike, Rock Bass, and Largemouth Bass in Whitefish. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Minnesota DNR records list public access for Whitefish. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for the launch type and directions before you go.

Whitefish has a maximum depth of 30 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Whitefish is from 2025.

No invasive species are on record for Whitefish in Minnesota DNR data. Always clean, drain, and dry your equipment to help keep it that way.