Fish Lake (Otter Tail County)
Otter Tail County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 56006600
DNR records show 10 stocking entries at Fish Lake (Otter Tail County) since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (428,000 fish).
- Fish Lake (Otter Tail County) has 10 DNR stocking records across 10 years (2016-2025): walleye (10).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 2,184,005 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 17 ft; surface area 489 acres, 428 littoral acres, 11.9 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 8.6 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, walleye.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Otter Tail County, nearest town Parkers Prairie; DNR lake number (DOW) 56006600.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey (get source); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 428,000 | 3.8 |
| 2024 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 5,650 | 340.4 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 428,000 | 3.6 |
| 2022 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 5,800 | 340.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 428,000 | 3.8 |
| 2020 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 3,895 | 205.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 428,000 | 3.6 |
| 2018 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 4,160 | 320.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 450,000 | 3.9 |
| 2016 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 2,500 | 170.1 |
1 fish purchased and stocked by private citizens and sporting groups.
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 | 11.67 | 105 | 0.40 |
| Black crappie | Special trap nets | 0.78 | 7 | 0.47 |
| Walleye | Special trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 2.95 |
| Pumpkinseed | Special trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 0.29 |
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.
Fish Lake is a 435-acre eutrophic (fertile) lake located in southeastern Otter Tail County approximately three miles southwest of Parkers Prairie, MN. The immediate watershed consists primarily of agricultural land interspersed with hardwood woodlots. The maximum depth is 17 feet; however, 98% of the lake is 15 feet or less in depth. Shoreline development is very limited. A DNR owned concrete public water access is located off of County Road 79 along the east shoreline of the lake. Shoal water substrates consist primarily of sand and gravel. Emergent vegetation (hardstem bulrush, common cattail, and wild rice) is prevalent throughout 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 and lake bottoms from erosion and can even absorb and break down polluting chemicals. Emergent plants provide spawning habitat for fish species like Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, and panfish. They also serve as important nursery areas for all species of fish. Because of their ecological importance, emergent plants may not be removed without a DNR permit. To maintain the excellent water quality and angling that this lake has to offer, it is imperative to preserve the quality of the aquatic habitat. Fish Lake is subject to periodic winterkills; therefore, fish populations can fluctuate dependent on the frequency and extent of winterkill events. The most recent partial winterkill occurred in the winter of 1996-97. The Parkers Prairie Sportsman's Club operates an aeration unit during severe winters to minimize winterkill. A spring trap netting survey was conducted in 2025 to collect data on the Bluegill population. This was the second survey specifically targeting Bluegill on Fish Lake. Bluegill are abundant and quality fish are present as well. Age data indicates that Bluegill recruitment has been inconsistent in recent years. As such, abundance and size structure of the population can vary over time. Fish sampled ranged in size from 3.9 to 10.3 inches in length, with 77% of the Bluegills measuring 7.0 inches or greater. Bluegills attain an average length of 8.6 inches at seven years of age. There are special fish harvest regulations in effect for Fish Lake. These include a reduced daily limit of 5 sunfish and 5 crappies. 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…
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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