Otter Lake (Cook County)
Cook County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 16003200
DNR records show 4 stocking entries at Otter Lake (Cook County) since 2018, most recently walleye fry in 2023 (75,000 fish).
- Otter Lake (Cook County) has 4 DNR stocking records across 4 years (2018-2023): walleye (4).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 300,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 11 ft; surface area 75 acres, 75 littoral acres, 1.9 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 5.4 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: northern pike, walleye, yellow perch.
- 2 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Cook County, nearest town Hovland; DNR lake number (DOW) 16003200.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 75,000 | 0.7 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 75,000 | 0.8 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 75,000 | 0.8 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 75,000 | 0.9 |
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 | - | |
| CA | - |
DNR fish survey, 2022
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 11.67 | 35 | 1.59 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 6.33 | 19 | 1.77 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 1.33 | 4 | 0.09 |
| Walleye | 1/4-in trap nets | 8.00 | 48 | 0.22 |
| Northern pike | 1/4-in trap nets | 0.17 | 1 | 1.06 |
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 2.50 | 15 | 1.86 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.67 | 4 | 0.77 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 0.17 | 1 | 0.08 |
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.
Otter Lake is a small, shallow, undeveloped lake located approximately ten miles north of the community of Hovland off the Arrowhead Trail. For many years the lake was managed for Largemouth Bass and Black Crappie. A partial winterkill in the late 1970s eliminated the Largemouth Bass population. That was followed by a surge in Yellow Perch abundance and a gradual decline in the Black Crappie population. Northern Pike were introduced in the 1980s with the intent of reducing Yellow Perch abundance to a level that might allow Black Crappie abundance to rebound. Although Yellow Perch abundance declined after Northern Pike became established, the Black Crappie population did not recover despite additional stocking efforts in 1999 and 2002. The 2008 lake management plan for Otter Lake called for a change in management species, and introductory Walleye fry stocking was done annually, 2008-2011, then reduced to two consecutive years of every four starting in 2014. The goal was to establish a Walleye population with a minimum gill net catch of 5.0 fish/set. This survey was the last of three scheduled in the 2008 lake management plan to determine whether Walleye stocking had been successful, and to monitor the lake for Walleye natural reproduction. Standard survey results from 2014 and 2018 indicated that Walleye stocking was initially successful in Otter Lake. In both surveys, Walleye gill net and standard trap net catch rates were considered average or better for this type of lake. Fry stocked year classes were represented in each survey, although a substantial proportion of the fish sampled in 2018 were aged to natural (unstocked) year classes. Results from the 2022 survey were similar to those observed in 2018. The Walleye gill net catch surpassed the catch goal set for the population for the second consecutive survey. The number of Walleye sampled in standard trap nets was above average compared to catch rates from other lakes of this type but similar to prior survey results from Otter Lake. A majority of the Walleye sampled in this survey ranged from 14-18 inches, while the largest walleye measured just over 20 inches. Natural reproduction accounted for over 60% of the Walleyes captured in the survey, while recent year classes supplemented with fry stocking (2018 and 2019) did not appear particularly abundant. Results from this survey offer additional confirmation that Walleye stocking in Otter Lake was successful at producing a population that could meet the catch goal set for the lake. The increasing contributions of naturally produced Walleye also…
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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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.
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