Lake Whitefish Lakes in Minnesota

77 lakes where Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys have recorded lake whitefish.

A species appears here when it turned up in a DNR survey net or electrofishing run, which tells you the fish is present — not how many there are. The counties with the most lake whitefish lakes are St. Louis (20), Lake (20), Cook (14).

New to the species? Read How to Catch Tullibee (Cisco) and Whitefish in Minnesota: Ice Fishing & Netting.

1.Leech Lake

Cass · Walker103,444 acres

Special regulations

FishingIce FishingBoatingPaddling

2.Lake of the Woods

Lake of the Woods · Long Point725,583 acres

Special regulations

FishingIce FishingBoatingPaddling

3.Lake Vermilion

St. Louis · Tower39,272 acres

Special regulations

FishingIce FishingBoatingPaddling

4.Lake Kabetogama

St. Louis · Ray24,034 acres

Special regulations

FishingIce FishingBoatingPaddling

5.Cass Lake

Beltrami · Cass Lake15,958 acres

Special regulations

FishingIce FishingBoatingPaddling

6.Rainy Lake

St. Louis · International Falls210,200 acres

Special regulations

FishingIce FishingBoatingPaddling

7.Pike Bay

Cass · Cass Lake4,756 acres

Special regulations

FishingIce FishingBoatingPaddling

8.Deer Lake

Itasca · Deer River4,093 acres

Stocking on record

FishingIce FishingBoatingPaddling

9.Kabekona Lake

Hubbard · Laporte2,433 acres

Special regulations

FishingIce FishingBoatingPaddling

10.Whitefish Lake

Crow Wing · Cross Lake7,714 acres

Special regulations

FishingIce FishingBoatingPaddling

11.Namakan Lake

St. Louis · Ray24,066 acres

Special regulations

FishingIce FishingPaddlingCamping

12.Upper Red Lake

Beltrami · Waskish119,294 acres

Special regulations

FishingIce FishingBoatingPaddling

All 77 lakes

Sorted by rank. Tap a lake for access, fish species and directions.

Lake	County	Regs	Acres	Max depth	Score
Leech Lakenear Walker	Cass	Special	103,444	150 ft	92 out of 100 Lake Score
Lake of the Woodsnear Long Point	Lake of the Woods	Special	725,583	210 ft	84 out of 100 Lake Score
Lake Vermilionnear Tower	St. Louis	Special	39,272	76 ft	80 out of 100 Lake Score
Lake Kabetogamanear Ray	St. Louis	Special	24,034	80 ft	74 out of 100 Lake Score
Cass Lakenear Cass Lake	Beltrami	Special	15,958	120 ft	92 out of 100 Lake Score
Rainy Lakenear International Falls	St. Louis	Special	210,200	161 ft	89 out of 100 Lake Score
Pike Baynear Cass Lake	Cass	Special	4,756	95 ft	78 out of 100 Lake Score
Deer Lakenear Deer River	Itasca	Statewide	4,093	121 ft	72 out of 100 Lake Score
Kabekona Lakenear Laporte	Hubbard	Special	2,433	133 ft	68 out of 100 Lake Score
Whitefish Lakenear Cross Lake	Crow Wing	Special	7,714	138 ft	70 out of 100 Lake Score
Namakan Lakenear Ray	St. Louis	Special	24,066	150 ft	71 out of 100 Lake Score
Upper Red Lakenear Waskish	Beltrami	Special	119,294	15 ft	76 out of 100 Lake Score
Crane Lakenear Crane Lake	St. Louis	Special	2,921	80 ft	68 out of 100 Lake Score
Ten Mile Lakenear Hackensack	Cass	Statewide	5,080	208 ft	73 out of 100 Lake Score
Turtle Rivernear Turtle River	Beltrami	Special	1,740	63 ft	72 out of 100 Lake Score
Big Trout Lakenear Manhattan Beach	Crow Wing	Special	1,366	128 ft	68 out of 100 Lake Score
Sand Point Lakenear Crane Lake	St. Louis	Special	8,527	184 ft	66 out of 100 Lake Score
Burntside Lakenear Ely	St. Louis	Statewide	7,314	126 ft	87 out of 100 Lake Score
Cross Lake Reservoirnear Cross Lake	Crow Wing	Special	1,815	84 ft	76 out of 100 Lake Score
Turtle Lakenear Marcell	Itasca	Special	2,126	137 ft	71 out of 100 Lake Score
Saganaga Lakenear Grand Marais	Cook	Special	18,767	280 ft	79 out of 100 Lake Score
Basswood Lakenear Ely	Lake	Special	25,953	111 ft	76 out of 100 Lake Score
Rush Lakenear Cross Lake	Crow Wing	Special	858	105 ft	74 out of 100 Lake Score
Blackduck Lakenear Blackduck	Beltrami	Special	2,711	28 ft	62 out of 100 Lake Score
Sturgeon Lakenear Chisholm	St. Louis	Statewide	1,585	80 ft	69 out of 100 Lake Score
Benedict Lakenear Benedict	Hubbard	Statewide	464	91 ft	66 out of 100 Lake Score
Elbow Lakenear Gheen	St. Louis	Statewide	1,695	60 ft	61 out of 100 Lake Score
Bertha Lakenear Jenkins	Crow Wing	Special	337	64 ft	63 out of 100 Lake Score
Lac la Croixnear Ely	St. Louis	Statewide	29,597	168 ft	67 out of 100 Lake Score
Lower Hay Lakenear Jenkins	Crow Wing	Special	700	100 ft	67 out of 100 Lake Score
Steamboat Lakenear Cass Lake	Cass	Statewide	1,756	93 ft	65 out of 100 Lake Score
Silver Island Lakenear Isabella	Lake	Statewide	1,239	16 ft	59 out of 100 Lake Score
Little Vermilion Lakenear Crane Lake	St. Louis	Special	1,288	52 ft	57 out of 100 Lake Score
Newfound Lakenear Ely	Lake	Statewide	643	45 ft	67 out of 100 Lake Score
Pig Lakenear Cross Lake	Crow Wing	Special	196	56 ft	61 out of 100 Lake Score
Clamshell Lakenear Jenkins	Crow Wing	Special	211	44 ft	60 out of 100 Lake Score
Loon Lakenear Crane Lake	St. Louis	Statewide	2,498	76 ft	59 out of 100 Lake Score
Sea Gull Lakenear Grand Marais	Cook	Special	3,958	145 ft	80 out of 100 Lake Score
Hatch Lakenear Marcell	Itasca	Statewide	226	88 ft	66 out of 100 Lake Score
Devil Track Lakenear Grand Marais	Cook	Statewide	1,876	50 ft	68 out of 100 Lake Score
Island Lakenear Cross Lake	Crow Wing	Special	232	76 ft	57 out of 100 Lake Score
Pine Lakenear Hovland	Cook	Statewide	2,122	113 ft	69 out of 100 Lake Score
Poplar Lakenear Grand Marais	Cook	Statewide	764	73 ft	63 out of 100 Lake Score
Three Lakenear Forest Center	Lake	Statewide	904	37 ft	62 out of 100 Lake Score
Gull Lakenear Grand Marais	Cook	Special	168	40 ft	64 out of 100 Lake Score
Good Lakenear Prairie Portage	Lake	Statewide	175	51 ft	58 out of 100 Lake Score
Greenwood Lakenear Grand Marais	Cook	Statewide	2,043	112 ft	75 out of 100 Lake Score
Knife Lakenear Ely	Lake	Statewide	4,919	179 ft	70 out of 100 Lake Score
Isabella Lakenear Isabella	Lake	Statewide	1,257	19 ft	53 out of 100 Lake Score
Four Lakenear Forest Center	Lake	Statewide	611	25 ft	62 out of 100 Lake Score
Ottertrack Lakenear Ely	Lake	Statewide	1,134	116 ft	61 out of 100 Lake Score
Iron Lakenear Winton	St. Louis	Statewide	1,962	64 ft	59 out of 100 Lake Score
Little Knife Lakenear Ely	Lake	Statewide	700	184 ft	66 out of 100 Lake Score
Pike Lakenear Grand Marais	Cook	Statewide	814	45 ft	65 out of 100 Lake Score
Spring Lakenear Crane Lake	St. Louis	Statewide	219	60 ft	58 out of 100 Lake Score
Two Lakenear Ely	Lake	Statewide	516	35 ft	61 out of 100 Lake Score
McFarland Lakenear Hovland	Cook	Statewide	386	49 ft	76 out of 100 Lake Score
Moose Lakenear Hovland	Cook	Statewide	1,026	113 ft	67 out of 100 Lake Score
Windy Lakenear Isabella	Lake	Statewide	456	39 ft	62 out of 100 Lake Score
Johnson Lakenear Crane Lake	St. Louis	Statewide	1,736	88 ft	59 out of 100 Lake Score
Red Rock Lakenear Tofte	Cook	Statewide	451	64 ft	59 out of 100 Lake Score
T Lakenear Schroeder	Lake	Statewide	295	15 ft	49 out of 100 Lake Score
Little Johnson Lakenear Crane Lake	St. Louis	Statewide	566	28 ft	49 out of 100 Lake Score
Ester Lakenear Prairie Portage	Lake	Statewide	374	110 ft	67 out of 100 Lake Score
Perent Lakenear Forest Center	Lake	Statewide	1,598	38 ft	51 out of 100 Lake Score
Alpine Lakenear Grand Marais	Cook	Statewide	909	65 ft	59 out of 100 Lake Score
One Lakenear Ely	Lake	Statewide	846	57 ft	53 out of 100 Lake Score
Ge-Be-On-Equat Lakenear Crane Lake	St. Louis	Statewide	660	55 ft	53 out of 100 Lake Score
Tom Lakenear Hovland	Cook	Statewide	404	35 ft	50 out of 100 Lake Score
Koma Lakenear Forest Center	Lake	Statewide	250	14 ft	46 out of 100 Lake Score
Adams Lakenear Ely	Lake	Statewide	475	84 ft	60 out of 100 Lake Score
Ogishkemuncie Lakenear Ely	Lake	Statewide	762	75 ft	57 out of 100 Lake Score
Eugene Lakenear Crane Lake	St. Louis	Statewide	181	64 ft	53 out of 100 Lake Score
Hanson Lakenear Prairie Portage	Lake	Statewide	289	100 ft	61 out of 100 Lake Score
Little Loon Lakenear Crane Lake	St. Louis	Statewide	167	68 ft	52 out of 100 Lake Score
Vernon Lakenear Grand Marais	Cook	Statewide	240	101 ft	60 out of 100 Lake Score
Canton Pitnear Belgrade (St. Louis)	St. Louis	Statewide	161	286 ft	43 out of 100 Lake Score

Other species

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I catch lake whitefish in Minnesota?

DNR surveys have recorded lake whitefish in 77 of the lakes in this directory. The top-ranked are Leech Lake (Cass County), Lake of the Woods (Lake of the Woods County), Lake Vermilion (St. Louis County).

Are there special regulations for lake whitefish?

Statewide seasons and limits apply unless a lake has its own rule. 29 of the lakes listed here carry special regulations of some kind; each lake page shows the text. Always confirm with the current DNR fishing regulations.