Prairie Lake (Otter Tail County)
Otter Tail County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 56091500
DNR records show 5 stocking entries at Prairie Lake (Otter Tail County) since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2024 (801,000 fish).
- Prairie Lake (Otter Tail County) has 5 DNR stocking records across 5 years (2016-2024): walleye (5).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 4,005,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 22 ft, mean depth 10 ft; surface area 1,004 acres, 801 littoral acres, 7.3 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 10.7 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, and 3 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Otter Tail County, nearest town Pelican Rapids; DNR lake number (DOW) 56091500.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 5/25/1967 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 801,000 | 7.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 801,000 | 7.3 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 801,000 | 7.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 801,000 | 6.8 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fry | 801,000 | 6.8 |
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, 2024
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | Standard electrofishing | 30.59 | 63 | 1.65 |
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.
Prairie Lake is a 1,016-acre eutrophic (fertile) lake located in northwestern Otter Tail County. The city of Pelican Rapids, MN abuts the south shoreline of the lake. Prairie Lake is part of the Otter Tail River Watershed. The Pelican River inlet is located along the northeast shoreline while the outlet is located along the south shoreline. The immediate watershed is composed primarily of agricultural land interspersed with hardwood woodlots. The maximum depth of Prairie Lake is 22 feet; however, 79% of the lake is 15 feet or less in depth. Historical secchi disk readings have ranged from 4.0 to 12.5 feet. The north and east shorelines of Prairie Lake have been extensively developed. Homes and cottages compose the majority of the development. A DNR owned public water access is located off of State Highway 59 along the southeast shoreline of the lake. The shoal water substrates consist primarily of sand and gravel. Large stands of hardstem bulrush and common cattail are located along the south, west, and north shorelines. Emergent aquatic plants such as hardstem bulrush and cattail provide valuable fish and wildlife habitat, and are critical for maintaining good water quality. They protect shorelines and lake bottoms, and can absorb and break down polluting chemicals. Emergent plants provide spawning areas for fish such as Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, and panfish. They also serve as an important nursery area for all species of fish. Because of their ecological value, emergent plants may not be removed without a DNR permit. The Prairie Lake Outlet Dam was modified into a natural looking rock arch rapids in March, 2020. The project had multiple benefits including restoring historic fish passage in the Pelican River system, improving safety around the lake outlet, and providing an environmentally friendly permanent fix to an aging dam. There are approximately 29 species of fish that will benefit from river reconnection at this site. This project will reconnect over 21 miles of river within the Otter Tail Watershed. The lead sponsor for the project was the Pelican Group of Lakes Improvement District (PGOLID). The Prairie Lake Association also provided a letter of support for the project. Funding was provided through the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). A spring electrofishing survey was conducted to analyze the Largemouth Bass population. A moderate density Largemouth Bass population with an excellent size structure exists in Prairie Lake. Largemouth Bass ranged in length from 4.2 to 20.3…
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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