Devils Lake (Otter Tail County)
Otter Tail County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 56024500
DNR records show 4 stocking entries at Devils Lake (Otter Tail County) since 2018, most recently walleye adults in 2024 (446 fish).
- Devils Lake (Otter Tail County) has 4 DNR stocking records across 3 years (2018-2024): walleye (4).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 1,550 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 67 ft; surface area 355 acres, 211 littoral acres, 4.6 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 12.8 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Otter Tail County, nearest town Perham; DNR lake number (DOW) 56024500.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | adults | 446 | 223.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye | adults | 387 | 249.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye | yearlings | 483 | 145.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fingerlings | 234 | 78.0 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| gravel ramp | Minnesota DNR |
DNR fish survey, 2013
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 38.12 | 305 | 0.18 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 4.50 | 36 | 0.69 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 4.50 | 36 | 0.68 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 4.38 | 35 | 0.36 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard trap nets | 1.62 | 13 | 1.14 |
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 0.50 | 4 | 3.47 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.38 | 3 | 1.67 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 0.12 | 1 | 0.87 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 8.00 | 72 | 1.20 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 1.33 | 12 | 0.70 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 9 | 1.50 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 0.78 | 7 | 0.19 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 0.33 | 3 | 0.29 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 0.22 | 2 | 2.76 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 0.11 | 1 | 0.24 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 0.11 | 1 | 2.48 |
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.
Devils Lake is a 314-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in northeastern Otter Tail County approximately four miles northwest of Perham, MN. The immediate watershed is composed primarily of agricultural land interspersed with hardwood woodlots. There are no navigable inlets or outlets. The maximum depth is 67 feet; however, 67% of the lake is 15 feet or less in depth. The secchi disk reading during the 2013 lake survey was 16.5 feet. Previous secchi disk readings ranged from 9.0 to 15.0 feet. The south, east, and west shorelines of Devils Lake have been developed. Homes and cottages compose the majority of the development. One resort and a DNR owned public access are located along the east shoreline. The shoal water substrates consist primarily of sand and gravel. Areas of emergent aquatic vegetation are non-existent. Devils Lake can be ecologically classified as a bass-panfish type of lake and this is reflected in the assemblage of the fish community. Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Black Crappie, and Bluegill are the dominant gamefish species in Devils Lake. Northern Pike abundance was within the normal range for this type of lake. Northern Pike ranged in length from 13.9 to 34.0 inches with a mean length and weight of 17.8 inches and 1.2 pounds. Northern Pike growth is slow with an average length of 24.5 inches at six years of age. Slow growth may be related to the low abundance of Yellow Perch, which is a preferred forage of Northern Pike. Summer test-net indices are not reliable indicators of Largemouth Bass abundance or size structure; however, angler reports on this specie have been positive. Walleye abundance has remained stable in recent surveys. Age data indicate that Walleye reproduction is very limited. Walleyes ranged in length from 10.8 to 19.5 inches with a mean length and weight of 16.3 inches and 1.5 pounds. Walleyes attain an average length of 14.9 inches at four years of age. The 2007 and 2008 year classes of Black Crappie are strong and should provide consistently good angling for several years. Crappies attain an average length of 9.8 inches at five years of age. Bluegill abundance was within the normal range; however, the recent trend has been a decline in abundance. The decline in abundance corresponds with an increase in size structure. Seventy- five percent of the Bluegills were 7.0 inches or greater in length. Bluegills attain an average length of 7.5 inches at five years of age. Anglers can maintain the quality of fishing by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest encourages the release of…
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. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
Hear when the states we cover post stockings
One email a week in season: which waters in the states we cover were stocked, straight from the state agencies' own postings. No spam, no fishing-gear ads in the mail.
Free · double opt-in · unsubscribe anytime · we store only your email.