Marion Lake (Otter Tail County)
Otter Tail County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 56024300
DNR records show 13 stocking entries at Marion Lake (Otter Tail County) since 2016, most recently walleye fingerlings in 2025 (100 fish).
- Marion Lake (Otter Tail County) has 13 DNR stocking records across 7 years (2016-2025): walleye (13).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 105,747 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 62 ft; surface area 1,624 acres, 685 littoral acres, 9.1 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 12.1 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, and 5 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Otter Tail County, nearest town Richville; DNR lake number (DOW) 56024300.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 4/17/1953 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fingerlings | 100 | 8.0 |
| 2025 | Walleye | adults | 598 | 764.0 |
| 2025 | Walleye | yearlings | 1,366 | 981.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fingerlings | 25,640 | 1,370.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 15,057 | 1,003.8 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fingerlings | 5,984 | 367.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye | adults | 53 | 53.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fingerlings | 43,234 | 1,317.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye | adults | 1,152 | 369.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye | yearlings | 11,397 | 484.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | adults | 322 | 134.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | yearlings | 84 | 42.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | adults | 760 | 380.0 |
2 fish purchased by the DNR for stocking.
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 | Standard trap nets | 30.91 | 340 | 0.17 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 14.45 | 159 | 0.24 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 6.91 | 76 | 0.66 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 6.18 | 68 | 0.25 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 3.55 | 39 | 0.31 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 1.64 | 18 | 0.49 |
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 1.09 | 12 | 3.11 |
| Common carp | Standard trap nets | 0.82 | 9 | 3.96 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 13.83 | 166 | 0.36 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 10.25 | 123 | 2.39 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 7.17 | 86 | 0.13 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 3.33 | 40 | 0.86 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard gill nets | 2.67 | 32 | 0.42 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 1.83 | 22 | 0.53 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 1.67 | 20 | 1.53 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 1.67 | 20 | 1.08 |
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.
Marion Lake is a 1,664-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in north-central Otter Tail County approximately four miles southwest of Perham, MN. Marion Lake is included in the Otter Tail River Watershed. The immediate watershed is primarily composed of agricultural land interspersed with hardwood woodlots. The lake is composed of two basins which are separated by a shallow peninsula. Boats can navigate between the basins using a narrow channel along the north shore. The west basin has a maximum depth of 30 feet while the east basin has a maximum depth of 62 feet. Forty-one percent of the total lake area is 15 feet or less in depth. The secchi disk reading was 13.1 feet. Historical secchi disk readings have ranged from 9.0 to 15.0 feet. A majority of the shoreline of Marion Lake has been extensively developed. Homes, cottages, and resorts compose the development. A state-owned concrete public water access is located along the southeast shoreline of the lake. Shoal water substrates consist primarily of sand interspersed with areas of gravel and rubble. Stands of emergent vegetation (hardstem bulrush, common cattail, and wild rice) are located in various areas 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, and can absorb and breakdown polluting chemicals. Emergent plants provide spawning areas for fish such as Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, and panfish. They also serve as important nursery areas for all species of fish. Because of their ecological value, 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. Marion Lake can be ecologically classified as a Walleye-Bass-Panfish type of lake and this is reflected in the assemblage of the fish community. Walleye, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, and Bluegill are the dominant gamefish species. Walleye abundance has declined over the recent series of surveys. Walleyes ranged in length from 8.7 to 26.2 inches with an average length and weight of 15.2 inches and 1.5 pounds. Walleyes attain an average length of 14.1 inches at four years of age. The Walleye population is sustained predominantly by fingerling stocking. Northern Pike abundance has remained stable and pike reproduction is consistently good. Pike ranged in length from 16.1 to 34.8 inches with an average length and weight of 21.4 inches and…
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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