Whitefish Lake (Itasca County)
Itasca County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 31084300
Whitefish Lake (Itasca County) has no DNR stocking rows in LakeFinder; this page carries its DNR depth, access and survey data.
- Whitefish Lake (Itasca County) shows no stocking records in Minnesota DNR LakeFinder as of .
- Maximum depth 51 ft; surface area 564 acres, 261 littoral acres, 4.6 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 9.0 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, and 1 more.
- 2 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Itasca County, nearest town Wirt; DNR lake number (DOW) 31084300.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey; depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | PRI | |
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | New DNR concrete ramp north end of lake. |
DNR fish survey, 2019
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 28.56 | 257 | 0.10 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 4.67 | 42 | 1.56 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 4.33 | 39 | 1.60 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 2.11 | 19 | 0.13 |
| Tullibee (cisco) | Standard gill nets | 1.56 | 14 | 0.98 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 1.56 | 14 | 2.48 |
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 0.56 | 5 | 0.69 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 0.56 | 5 | 0.44 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 2.89 | 26 | 0.11 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 2.78 | 25 | 0.12 |
| Bowfin (dogfish) | Standard trap nets | 0.78 | 7 | 5.27 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.44 | 4 | 0.97 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 0.22 | 2 | 0.09 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 0.22 | 2 | 0.05 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 1.45 |
Catch per net (CPUE) is the DNR survey's count per gill net or trap net set; higher means more of that species were sampled, not a fishing forecast. Top species per gear shown; where we have no verified common name for a DNR code, the code itself is shown.
Whitefish Lake is located 3 miles south of Wirt, MN in the Big Fork River watershed and the Chippewa National Forest. The 2009 lake management plan (LMP) listed Walleye and Northern Pike as primary management species and Black Crappie as secondary management species. A standard lake survey was conducted in August 2019 to assess the status of the fish community. An Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) survey was also conducted to sample nearshore fishes not typically sampled in standard nets. Results of that assessment are summarized in a separate report. Walleye gill-net catches had ranged from 2.7 to 8.6/net in previous surveys. The 2019 catch of 4.3/net was slightly below average for the lake and similar lakes. Size structure was favorable for anglers; sampled Walleye ranged from 9.6 to 24.2 inches with an average length of 15.9 inches. No stocking of any kind has occurred since 1973 and all fish are the result of natural reproduction. Ages 1-8, and 17 were represented, indicating frequent but variable reproduction. Ages 1 and 4 were the most frequently sampled. Growth was similar to the statewide average. Walleye exceeded 17 inches after 5 years. Whitefish Lake likely provides fair angling opportunities for Walleye, at least for "eating size" fish less than 20 inches. Gill-net catches for Northern Pike had ranged from 2.1 to 17.4/net in previous surveys. The 2019 catch rate (4.7/net) was below average for the lake and similar lakes. Size structure was poor and similar to the previous survey. Gill-net sampled pike ranged from 14.6 to 25.0 inches with an average length of 20.4 inches. Six year classes were identified from age 1 to 5, and 7. Growth was considered average; pike averaged 20 inches after four years. Poor size structure likely limits the popularity of the pike fishery. Net catches for Black Crappie have typically been low in past surveys. The 2019 gill-net catch was below average compared to similar lakes, while no crappie were sampled in trap nets. The few fish sampled ranged from 7.9 to 11.7 inches. No age and growth data were collected, but the length-frequency distribution suggested at least two year classes were present. Pumpkinseeds have been the most commonly sampled sunfish in all surveys, and catch rates have generally been low. The 2019 trap-net catch was average for the lake and similar lakes. Sampled Pumpkinseeds ranged from 3.0 to 7.0 inches. Bluegill were sampled for the first time in 2008 in low numbers. In 2019, one Bluegill was sampled in a gill net, and two Hybrid Sunfish were captured in trap nets. Yellow Perch are an…
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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Stocking rows, depths, accesses and survey figures are Minnesota DNR LakeFinder data as of 2026-09-02; contours are the DNR bathymetric survey. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
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