Rose Lake (Otter Tail County)
Otter Tail County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 56036000
DNR records show 10 stocking entries at Rose Lake (Otter Tail County) since 2016, most recently walleye yearlings in 2024 (224 fish).
- Rose Lake (Otter Tail County) has 10 DNR stocking records across 6 years (2016-2024): walleye (10).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 18,178 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 137 ft; surface area 1,200 acres, 465 littoral acres, 9.7 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 10.6 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 Vergas; DNR lake number (DOW) 56036000.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 8/9/1976 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | yearlings | 224 | 112.0 |
| 2024 | Walleye | adults | 776 | 388.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 4,560 | 228.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fingerlings | 8,835 | 465.0 |
| 2020 | Walleye | yearlings | 818 | 121.0 |
| 2020 | Walleye | adults | 263 | 350.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye | adults | 196 | 196.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fingerlings | 522 | 58.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye | yearlings | 842 | 226.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | adults | 1,142 | 571.0 |
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, 2024
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 23.00 | 230 | 0.15 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 6.50 | 65 | 0.35 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 3.40 | 34 | 0.77 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 2.30 | 23 | 0.24 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 1.40 | 14 | 1.40 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.90 | 9 | 0.37 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 0.60 | 6 | 0.07 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 0.60 | 6 | 0.70 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 10.22 | 92 | 0.79 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 9.89 | 89 | 1.51 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 7.89 | 71 | 0.08 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 2.67 | 24 | 0.22 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 2.33 | 21 | 3.67 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 1.89 | 17 | 1.26 |
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 9 | 0.35 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard gill nets | 0.89 | 8 | 0.33 |
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.
Rose Lake is a 1,190-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in north-central Otter Tail County approximately one mile east of Vergas, MN. The immediate watershed is composed primarily of hardwood woodlots. An outlet dam is located along the south shoreline. The maximum depth is 137 feet; however, 39% of the lake is 15 feet or less in depth. The secchi disk reading during the 2024 survey was 15.0 feet. Previous secchi disk readings ranged from 5.2 to 14.0 feet. Shoreline development is moderate and consists of homes, cabins, and resorts. A DNR owned public water access is located off of County Road 4 along the northwest shoreline. Shoal water substrates consist primarily of sand and gravel. Emergent aquatic plants such as hardstem bulrush and common cattail are located in various areas throughout the lake. These emergent plants provide valuable fish and wildlife habitat and are critical for maintaining good water quality. They protect shorelines and lake bottoms from erosion and can absorb and breakdown 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 value, emergent plants may not be removed without a DNR permit. Rose Lake can be ecologically classified as a bass-panfish-Walleye type of lake and this is reflected in the assemblage of the fish community. Northern Pike, Walleye, Largemouth Bass, and Bluegill are the dominant gamefish species. The prolificacy of these species can be attributed to the abundance of suitable spawning habitat that is available. A high-density Northern Pike population exists. Age data indicate that Northern Pike reproduction is consistently good. Pike ranged in length from 10.3 to 31.4 inches with an average length and weight of 17.2 inches and 1.4 pounds. Pike attain an average length of 18.4 inches at four years of age. Walleye abundance has remained stable at a moderate level. Walleyes ranged in length from 14.3 to 28.2 inches with an average length and weight of 21.1 inches and 3.7 pounds. Walleyes attain an average length of 15.1 inches at four years of age. Data indicate that a balanced Largemouth Bass population exists and that bass reproduction is consistently good. Largemouth Bass ranged in length from 5.0 to 17.2 inches. Bass attain an average length of 13.9 inches at five years of age. The Bluegill population has remained stable in recent surveys. Age data indicate that Bluegill reproduction is consistently good. Thirty percent of…
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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