Cross Lake (Whitefish Chain) Water Level
Cross Lake (Whitefish Chain) is at 1,228.99 ft today (Oct 31), 0.58 ft below its 1,229.57 ft full pool, down 0.04 ft this week.
Minnesota · Pine River
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Water level history
About Cross Lake (Whitefish Chain)
Cross Lake (Whitefish Chain) is a reservoir on the Pine River in Minnesota, operated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Its full summer pool sits at 1229.57 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CWMS) and update hourly.
Understanding Cross Lake (Whitefish Chain)'s water level
Cross Lake is the bottom of the Whitefish Chain, and the Pine River Dam sits at its outlet in the town of Crosslake, about 18 river miles above where the Pine joins the Mississippi. Raising Cross Lake raised everything upstream of it. After the dam went into service in 1886, higher water opened permanent channels between lakes that had been separate, and the Corps now counts one reservoir of about 13,660 acres with 119 miles of shoreline. That pool takes in Cross, Rush, Little Pine, Daggett, Island, Upper and Lower Whitefish, Big Trout, Arrowhead, Pig, Clamshell, Bertha, and the two Hay lakes, among others. So a reading at the dam is effectively the level on every connected lake in the chain. Upstream of the dam is 562 square miles of drainage, and average inflow runs about 270 cubic feet per second. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has called the Pine River watershed the top clean water producing watershed in the state.
In summer the Corps holds the chain inside a band only six inches deep, between 1,229.07 and 1,229.57 feet (NGVD29 datum). The top of that band is the 1,229.57 shown here as full pool. Keeping the lake that steady means passing whatever comes in. When inflow drops in late summer, usually in August, the Corps cuts releases to a low flow of 30 cubic feet per second to slow the fall of the lake. In the drought of 2021 low release started June 10, and on July 12 the pool stood at 1,229.15 feet, still inside the band. The operations manager said she had not seen a shortage like it in ten years at the dam. In fall the Corps draws the chain down toward the lower ordinary limit of 1,227.32 feet, aiming to finish by the end of February so the reservoir has room for snowmelt. The ordinary operating range is 1,227.32 to 1,230.32 feet, and the full range runs from 1,225.32 to 1,235.30 feet.
Pine River was the fourth of the six Mississippi Headwaters dams, which Congress funded in 1880 to improve navigation above the Twin Cities. Crews started the original timber dam in 1884: a 1,265 foot embankment and a timber crib filled with stone, with thirteen sluices. It was rebuilt in concrete on timber piles between 1905 and 1907, and in 1934 the Portland Cement Association called it the finest concrete structure for durability it knew of. Perimeter dikes went up between 1899 and 1914. In 2002 the Corps installed leaf gates in each sluiceway and raised the dam. The structure is 233 feet long, with thirteen six foot sluiceways, eleven of them gated, and can pass more than 2,200 cubic feet per second. Flood control has been the main job since the 1930s, and when setting outflow the Corps weighs conditions on the Mississippi from Fort Ripley down to the Twin Cities. The Cross Lake Recreation Area next to the dam has 122 campsites, 97 of them with electric hookups, plus a boat ramp and two swimming beaches.
Cross Lake (Whitefish Chain) — frequently asked
What is full pool on Cross Lake and the Whitefish Chain?
This page uses 1,229.57 feet (NGVD29), the top of the Corps' summer band. The band is only six inches deep, with 1,229.07 feet as the bottom. The Corps' Headwaters master plan gives 1,229.32 feet, the middle of that band, as the summer pool target, and puts the reservoir at about 13,600 acres and 101,000 acre-feet at that level.
Does the Pine River Dam control the level of the whole Whitefish Chain?
Yes. The dam sits at the outlet of Cross Lake, and the lakes above it are connected by channels the higher water made permanent after 1886. The Corps' master plan lists fifteen lakes affected by the dam, including Rush, Little Pine, Daggett, Upper and Lower Whitefish, Big Trout, Arrowhead, Clamshell, and the Hay lakes. Counts differ by source: the Corps' recreation page says 13 natural lakes, and a 2012 DNR survey lists 13 waterbodies.
Why is the Whitefish Chain low?
Most summers the Corps keeps the chain between 1,229.07 and 1,229.57 feet by adjusting releases. When inflow falls short, the dam drops to a low release of 30 cubic feet per second, usually in August. In a dry year that can start much earlier. It began June 10 in 2021, and lakefront owners around the region reported docks and lifts sitting in water too shallow to use. In fall and winter, a level below the band usually reflects the planned drawdown.
When does the Corps draw down Cross Lake for winter?
The drawdown runs through fall and winter and is set to finish by February 28, making room in the reservoir for spring snowmelt. The usual target is the lower ordinary limit of 1,227.32 feet, about two feet below the summer band. In November 2021 the Corps was aiming for about 1,228.3 feet by month's end. The final winter level depends on snow surveys taken in late February and early March.
How high can the Whitefish Chain get?
The Corps' top operating limit is 1,235.30 feet, about six feet above the summer band. At that level the reservoir spreads to roughly 15,500 acres and holds about 188,000 acre-feet. The upper limit of the ordinary operating range is 1,230.32 feet. The government holds flowage rights up to 1,238.82 feet. The dam's gates can pass more than 2,200 cubic feet per second.
How old is the Pine River Dam?
The first timber dam went up from 1884 to 1886, making Pine River the fourth of the six Headwaters reservoirs. The concrete structure standing today dates from 1905 to 1907. In 2002 the Corps added leaf gates to each sluiceway and raised the dam. The Corps has pool elevation records at the dam going back to January 1898.
Is there a campground at the Crosslake dam?
Yes. The Corps runs the Cross Lake Recreation Area on the east shore beside the dam, with 122 campsites (97 with electric hookups), a boat ramp, floating docks, two picnic shelters and two beaches. Reservations are made through Recreation.gov, and the 2026 season ends October 15.
Other lakes near Cross Lake (Whitefish Chain)
See current levels for all 6 Minnesota lakes and reservoirs →
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