Otter Tail Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 56024200
DNR records show 13 stocking entries at Otter Tail Lake since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (4,000,000 fish).
- Otter Tail Lake has 13 DNR stocking records across 9 years (2016-2025): walleye (9), lake sturgeon (4).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 35,571,887 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 120 ft; surface area 14,079 acres, 6,468 littoral acres, 23.7 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 8.4 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, lake sturgeon, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, smallmouth bass, and 5 more.
- 3 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Otter Tail County, nearest town Ottertail; DNR lake number (DOW) 56024200.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 10/1/1984 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 4,000,000 | 35.9 |
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 4,846,887 | 42.4 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 4,850,000 | 40.6 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 4,875,000 | 44.6 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 3,250,000 | 28.6 |
| 2019 | Lake Sturgeon8 | fingerlings | 2,401 | 180.5 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 3,250,000 | 27.4 |
| 2018 | Lake Sturgeon8 | fingerlings | 3,546 | 158.3 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 3,250,000 | 27.6 |
| 2017 | Lake Sturgeon8 | fingerlings | 3,057 | 126.3 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 3,250,000 | 27.9 |
| 2016 | Lake Sturgeon8 | fingerlings | 4,034 | 107.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fry | 4,000,000 | 33.9 |
8 fish cooperatively purchased, raised, and/or stocked by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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 | |
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | |
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR |
DNR fish survey, 2024
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 31.95 | 639 | 0.16 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 10.70 | 214 | 0.99 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 2.65 | 53 | 3.33 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 1.85 | 37 | 0.97 |
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 1.25 | 25 | 0.82 |
| Smallmouth bass | Standard gill nets | 0.55 | 11 | 2.31 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 0.55 | 11 | 0.04 |
| Tullibee (cisco) | Standard gill nets | 0.30 | 6 | 0.39 |
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 Tail Lake is a 13,725-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in central Otter Tail County. The city of Ottertail, MN abuts the east shoreline of the lake. Otter Tail Lake is part of the Otter Tail River chain of lakes. Rush, Big Pine, and Little Pine Lakes are located upstream, while Deer, East Lost, West Lost, and Red River Lakes are located downstream. Primary inlets are the Otter Tail River, which is located along the north shoreline, and the Dead River, which is located along the northwest shoreline. The Otter Tail River outlet is located along the southwest shoreline. Otter Tail Lake has a maximum depth of 120 feet; however, 57% of the lake is less than 15 feet in depth. The Secchi disk reading during the 2024 survey was 12.5 feet. Historical secchi disk readings ranged from 6.2 to 9.0 feet. The majority of the lake is surrounded by residential and commercial development. State owned public water accesses are located on the north, northeast, and southwest shorelines. The shoal water substrates consist primarily of sand interspersed with gravel. The lake contains large, shallow flats along most of its perimeter. Because of the abundant sand substrate, areas of submerged aquatic vegetation are present but sporadic. A few remnant stands of hardstem bulrush remain and are located adjacent to the undeveloped parcels. These areas are important components to the lake. They provide valuable fish and wildlife habitat during all stages of life and are critical for maintaining good water quality. Bulrush beds are natural shoreline stabilizers, reducing erosion caused from wave action and they can even absorb pollutants from the water. Because of their ecological value, bulrush may not be removed without a DNR permit. Otter Tail Lake is a very popular lake for both open water and winter angling. Although it is known primarily for the excellent Walleye angling, Otter Tail Lake is one of the few lakes in the area that supports a quality Yellow Perch fishery. It is also known as a trophy Northern Pike fishery, particularly among winter spear fishermen. A Lake Sturgeon re-introduction plan was implemented in 2002 when yearling Lake Sturgeon were stocked into Otter Tail Lake. The objective of the re-introduction plan is to re-establish a self-sustaining Lake Sturgeon population in the Otter Tail River system. Lake Sturgeon fingerlings were stocked on an annual basis from 2004 to 2019. In this survey, Lake Sturgeon ranged in length from 32.4 to 50.6 inches with an average length and weight of 40.9 inches and 9.6 pounds. A low to moderate density…
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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