Blanche Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 56024000
DNR records show 5 stocking entries at Blanche Lake since 2017, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (1,002,000 fish).
- Blanche Lake has 5 DNR stocking records across 5 years (2017-2025): walleye (5).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 5,010,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 64 ft; surface area 1,296 acres, 1,002 littoral acres, 5.6 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 7.7 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Otter Tail County, nearest town Ottertail; DNR lake number (DOW) 56024000.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 7/12/1972 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 1,002,000 | 9.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 1,002,000 | 8.4 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 1,002,000 | 8.8 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 1,002,000 | 8.5 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 1,002,000 | 8.6 |
Field note · Minnesota stocks by year, not by truck day: walleye fry go in within weeks of ice-out, fingerlings and yearlings mostly in fall, and stream trout in spring and fall. A row here means the fish went in during that year; DNR adds the year's rows after the fact, so the current year can look empty until winter.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Special trap nets | 19.67 | 177 | 0.27 |
| Pumpkinseed | Special trap nets | 12.56 | 113 | 0.28 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Special trap nets | 1.33 | 12 | 0.46 |
| Black crappie | Special trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 0.31 |
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.
Blanche Lake is a 1,228-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in central Otter Tail County approximately four miles northeast of Battle Lake, MN. An inlet from Annie Battle Lake is located on the southwest shoreline and an outlet to Otter Tail Lake is located on the north shoreline. The immediate watershed is composed primarily of mixed hardwood woodlots. Blanche Lake has a maximum depth of 64 feet; however, 82% of the lake is 15 feet or less in depth. The Secchi disk reading during the 2015 survey was 6.5 feet. Previous Secchi disk readings ranged from 6.5 to 9.0 feet. Moderate development exists along the northwest, north, and northeast shorelines. Four resorts and 133 homes/cabins were located along the shoreline during the 2000 lake survey. A state-owned public water access is located along the north shoreline. Shoal water substrates consist primarily of sand. Emergent vegetation (hardstem bulrush and common cattail) is prevalent throughout the southern portion of the lake. Emergent plants are important because they provide valuable fish and wildlife habitat and are critical for maintaining good water quality. They protect shorelines from erosion and can even absorb and break down pollutants from the water. Emergent plants provide spawning areas for fish species such as Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, and panfish. They also are important nursery areas for all species of fish. Because of their ecological importance, emergent plants may not be removed without a DNR permit. Blanche Lake can be ecologically classified as a Walleye-centrarchid type of lake and this is reflected in the assemblage of the fish community. Walleye, Largemouth Bass, and Bluegill are the dominant gamefish species in Blanche Lake. A spring trap netting survey was conducted in 2025 to collect data on the Bluegill population. This was the first targeted assessment for Bluegill on Blanche Lake. Previous Bluegill data was obtained via standard lake survey summer trap netting. Bluegills continue to be abundant in Blanche Lake. Age data indicates that Bluegill reproduction is consistently good. Bluegill size structure is also good as 66% of the Bluegills were 7.0 inches or greater in length. Bluegills attain an average length of 7.3 inches at seven years of age. Fish sampled during this survey ranged in size from 2.0 to 9.3 inches. Anglers can maintain the quality of angling by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest encourages the release of medium to large-size fish while allowing the harvest of more abundant smaller fish for table fare. Releasing the medium to…
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
All Minnesota stockings · every Minnesota lake with a page · state CSV · this lake on DNR LakeFinder
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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