Whitestem pondweed has white or light green stems and large oblong leaves between 8 and 20 centimeters long.  Leaves have 3 to 5 easily visible veins per leaf, 13 to 35 weaker veins, and sometimes wavy margins.  Stipules (Figure 4b) are between 1 and 8 centimeters long and are easy to see because they do not surround the stems for most of their length.  Tips of the leaves are shaped like the bow of a boat.  Stems may be up to 3 meters long.  Whitestem pondweed provides excellent feeding grounds for predator fishes, such as bass, walleye, northern pike, and muskellunge, because it is a large, robust plant that harbors many small aquatic animals and fishes.