Swan Lake (Otter Tail County)
Otter Tail County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 56078100
DNR records show 9 stocking entries at Swan Lake (Otter Tail County) since 2017, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (371,000 fish).
- Swan Lake (Otter Tail County) has 9 DNR stocking records across 9 years (2017-2025): walleye (9).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 1,888,060 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 44 ft, mean depth 13 ft; surface area 749 acres, 371 littoral acres, 9.2 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 9.3 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 4 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Otter Tail County, nearest town Fergus Falls; DNR lake number (DOW) 56078100.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey; depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 371,000 | 3.3 |
| 2024 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 10,500 | 350.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 371,000 | 3.1 |
| 2022 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 11,820 | 394.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 371,000 | 3.3 |
| 2020 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 6,240 | 312.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 371,000 | 3.1 |
| 2018 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 4,500 | 150.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 371,000 | 3.2 |
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, 2022
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | Standard electrofishing | 236.38 | 61 | 1.83 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 49.55 | 545 | 0.03 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 4.82 | 53 | 0.11 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.55 | 6 | 2.11 |
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 0.36 | 4 | 2.48 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 0.36 | 4 | 0.06 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 0.27 | 3 | 0.38 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 0.27 | 3 | 0.25 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 0.18 | 2 | 0.11 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 14.67 | 132 | 0.08 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 9.33 | 84 | 2.34 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 4.56 | 41 | 2.00 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 4.44 | 40 | 0.07 |
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 1.33 | 12 | 0.41 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 1.11 | 10 | 0.54 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 1.11 | 10 | 1.68 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 9 | 2.74 |
| Black crappie | Special trap nets | 3.62 | 29 | 0.50 |
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.
Swan Lake is a 689-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in southwestern Otter Tail County approximately three miles southeast of Fergus Falls, MN. Swan Lake is part of the Pomme de Terre River Watershed. The Pomme de Terre River outlet is located along the south shoreline of the lake and is unnavigable. The immediate watershed of Swan Lake is composed primarily of agricultural land interspersed with hardwood woodlots. The maximum depth of Swan Lake is 44 feet; however, 54% of the lake is less than 15 feet in depth. The secchi disk reading during the 2022 survey was 8.1 feet. Previous secchi disk readings have ranged from 4.5 to 17.2 feet. A majority of the shoreline of Swan Lake has been developed. The development consists primarily of homes and cottages. A resort/campground is located along the southeast shoreline. A DNR owned concrete public water access is located along the east shoreline of the lake. The shoal water substrates consist primarily of sand, gravel, and rubble. Hardstem bulrush and common cattail are prevalent along the shoreline of the southern portion of Swan Lake. 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 actually 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. Because of its proximity to Fergus Falls, Swan Lake is a popular angling lake. Swan Lake can be ecologically classified as a bass-panfish type of lake and this is reflected in the assemblage of the fish community. Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Black Crappie, and Bluegill are the dominant gamefish species in Swan Lake. Northern Pike abundance has remained high, but the size structure has improved in recent surveys. Age data indicate that Northern Pike reproduction is consistently good. Northern Pike ranged in length from 18.3 to 27.6 inches with an average length and weight of 22.1 inches and 2.3 pounds. Northern Pike attain an average length of 25.5 inches at five years of age. Data from a spring electrofishing survey indicate that a balanced Largemouth Bass population exists. Age data indicate that Largemouth Bass reproduction is consistently good. Largemouth Bass ranged in length from 2.9 inches to 19.5 inches with an average length and weight…
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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