Whitefish

Whitefish Lake is 226-acres with a maximum depth of 18 feet. Blue-green algal blooms are common during most summers and dissolved oxygen can become low during severe winters leading to periodic winterkills. The last known winterkill occurred in the winter of 2017-2018. A standard survey was completed on Whitefish Lake from 08/04/2025 to 08/05/2025 to assess the fish community. Northern Pike abundance declined slightly from the last survey in 2015. The Northern Pike gill net catch rate in 2025 was nearly six fish per net. Pike averaged 22 inches, with a maximum length of 25 inches. There was a record-high abundance of Walleye in Whitefish Lake in 2025. The Walleye gill net catch rate was 11 fish per net. Size ranged from 14 to 26 inches, with Walleye averaging almost 19 inches long. The Yellow Perch gill net catch rate in 2025 was 26 fish per net, which was well below the lake average of 53 fish per net. The average length of Yellow Perch was 5.9 inches and lengths ranged from 5.6 to 6.5 inches. Historically, Whitefish Lake is not known as a good sunfish lake. During the 2025 survey, Bluegill were sampled in Whitefish Lake for the first time since 1976 at a rate of 8 fish per trap net. The mean length of Bluegill was six inches with a max length of eight inches. Only two Black Crappie were captured, and no Largemouth Bass were captured. Black Bullhead were very abundant in Whitefish Lake. The 2025 gill net catch rate of Black Bullhead was 264 per net. Black Bullhead averaged seven inches in length. Other species sampled during this survey included Brown Bullhead, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, and White Sucker. Anglers can help to maintain balance in fish populations by voluntarily releasing a portion of medium and large fish and keeping smaller ones for eating. This is particularly true for Northern Pike and Bluegill. Shoreline owners and other watershed dwellers can help to maintain or improve water quality and fish habitat by leaving shoreline buffer zones, by leaving stands of native aquatic vegetation intact, by taking precautions to prevent invasive species introductions, and by using wise land management practices.

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Whitefish Lake was conducted July 31st, 2025, by Detroit Lakes Fisheries staff. Data was collected from 10 sampling stations evenly spaced around the lake. All stations were sampled with a backpack electrofishing unit, 1 station was sampled with a 50-foot seine and 7 stations were sampled with a 15-foot seine. Two stations were not sampled with a seine because of dense vegetation, water being too deep, muck being too thick, or a combination of circumstances. Nearshore sampling captured 13 species of native fish, which included three species that are intolerant of disturbance (Banded Killifish, Iowa Darter and Rock Bass) and three species that are tolerant of disturbance (Black Bullhead, Green Sunfish and Fathead Minnow). The three most common species captured during the nearshore survey in order of abundance were: Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Banded Killifish, and Bluegill. The nearshore fish survey data was combined with the standard survey data from August 2025 to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based Index of Biotic Integrity (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., Black Bullhead, Fathead Minnow, and Green Sunfish). 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. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to a watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency. Whitefish Lake is located in the Clearwater River Watershed.

Whitefish Lake is a eutrophic, 226-acre, class 38 lake with a maximum depth of 18 feet. Blue-green algal blooms are common during most summers and dissolved oxygen can become low during severe winters leading to periodic winterkills. Low winter dissolved oxygen levels were reported in 1994, 2004, 2006 and 2013. A moderate to heavy winterkill occurred in 2004, while light winterkills may have occurred in 2006 and 2013. Walleye fry and Black Crappie brood fish were stocked following the winterkill in 2004. The outlet of Whitefish Lake is a tributary to the Poplar River and several fish species are able to repopulate the lake following winterkill. Northern Pike have historically been the primary gamefish species in Whitefish Lake, although their population numbers have fluctuated greatly. The Northern Pike gill net catch rate in 2015 was 8.7 fish per net compared to the lake's historical average of 9.7 per net. The historical high catch rate of 19.5 fish per net occurred in the previous survey in 2005. Northern Pike sampled in gill nets in 2015 averaged 22.1 inches and 2.4 pounds. No Northern Pike older than five years old were sampled. The 2015 Walleye gill net catch rate set a historic high of 4.0 fish per net. The next highest catch rate was 1.5 fish per net, recorded in both 1989 and 1995 assessments. Sampled Walleyes ranged 8.6-25.6 inches in length with an average length of 19.2 inches. The Walleye population is maintained primarily by stocking of fry in odd years, and Walleyes averaged 16.3 inches by the time they are four years old. Yellow Perch are a relatively winterkill resistant species and they were found to be more abundant in Whitefish Lake than in other similar lakes in the state. The 2015 gill net catch rate of 54.2 fish per net was near the lake average of 53.2 fish per net. The average length of Yellow Perch was 6.8 inches and lengths ranged from 5.3-9.1 inches. Largemouth Bass were present in the 1989 survey and adult Bluegills were stocked in 1990. Black Crappies were found in several previous studies and were stocked as adult brood fish in 2004. However, no Bluegills or Black Crappie were sampled in this survey. One young of the year Largemouth Bass and two hybrid sunfish were captured suggesting at least some adult fish from the sunfish family are present in Whitefish Lake. Black Bullheads are very abundant in Whitefish Lake. Bullhead abundance is typically indexed with trap nets, but the 2015 trap net catch rate of Black Bullheads was 0.1 fish per net while 155.8 Black Bullheads were caught per gill net. Black Bullheads averaged 7.6 inches in length. Comparatively, the gillnet catch of Brown Bullheads was only 0.33 fish per net. Common Carp have migrated into Whitefish Lake and catch rates have fluctuated from 0.0-1.56 per net. Only one Common Carp was captured in 2015 for a catch rate of 0.11 per trap net. The captured Common Carp was large at 34.5 inches in length. Anglers can help to maintain balance in fish populations by voluntarily releasing a portion of medium and large fish and keeping smaller ones for eating. This is particularly true for Northern Pike and Bluegill. Shoreline owners and other watershed dwellers can help to maintain or improve water quality and fish habitat by leaving shoreline buffer zones, by leaving stands of native aquatic vegetation intact, by taking precautions to prevent invasive species introductions, and by using wise land management practices.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Pumpkinseed, and Hybrid Sunfish 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 18 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.