Wright Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 56078300
DNR records show 7 stocking entries at Wright Lake since 2017, most recently walleye yearlings in 2025 (690 fish).
- Wright Lake has 7 DNR stocking records across 5 years (2017-2025): walleye (7).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 4,464 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 32 ft; surface area 67 acres, 36 littoral acres, 2.8 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 8.5 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), golden redhorse, hybrid sunfish, lake sturgeon, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, silver redhorse, walleye, and 2 more.
- 2 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Otter Tail County, nearest town Fergus Falls; DNR lake number (DOW) 56078300.
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 | yearlings | 690 | 69.0 |
| 2025 | Walleye | adults | 18 | 24.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fingerlings | 1,224 | 72.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye | adults | 147 | 98.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye | adults | 4 | 4.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fingerlings | 2,265 | 69.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | adults | 116 | 116.0 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| CA | Minnesota DNR | |
| concrete ramp | city |
DNR fish survey, 2016
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 22.50 | 45 | 0.08 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 6.00 | 12 | 2.38 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 3.00 | 6 | 1.28 |
| Lake sturgeon | Standard gill nets | 1.50 | 3 | 9.04 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 1.50 | 3 | 0.29 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 18.67 | 168 | 0.23 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 3.44 | 31 | 0.25 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 3.22 | 29 | 0.06 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 1.56 | 14 | 0.25 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 0.67 | 6 | 0.21 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.56 | 5 | 1.68 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.56 | 5 | 0.24 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 0.44 | 4 | 0.32 |
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.
Wright Lake is a 63-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located within the city limits of Fergus Falls, MN. Wright Lake is connected to Hoot Lake via a navigable inlet along the north shoreline that is a portion of the Otter Tail River. The city water plant is located at the outlet along the west shoreline. The immediate watershed is composed primarily of residential areas and agricultural land. The maximum depth of Wright Lake is 32 feet; however, 52% of the lake is 15 feet or less in depth. The secchi disk reading was 7.5 feet. Previous secchi disk readings have ranged from 7.5 to 9.6 feet. The north and east shorelines of Wright Lake have been extensively developed with year-round homes. Wright Lake can be accessed from Hoot Lake via a navigable channel between the lakes. A city owned public water access is located on the south shoreline of Hoot Lake. Shoal water substrates consist primarily of sand and gravel. Wild rice is prevalent around the entire shoreline of the lake. Small stands of hardstem bulrush and common cattail are scattered along various shorelines. Emergent aquatic plants such as bulrush and wild rice 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 important nursery areas for all species of fish. Because of their ecological value, emergent plants may not be removed without a DNR permit. To maintain the excellent angling and water quality that this lake has to offer, it is imperative to preserve the quality of the aquatic habitat. Wright 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, Smallmouth Bass and Bluegill are the dominant gamefish species in the fish community. Northern Pike ranged in length from 20.0 to 24.3 inches with an average length and weight of 22.6 inches and 2.4 pounds. Pike attain an average length of 23.7 inches at age-IV. Thirty-five percent of the Bluegills were 7.0 inches or greater in length. Bluegill growth rates are good with an average length of 7.2 inches at four years of age. Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass were not sampled in this survey. Data from past electrofishing assessments indicate that these species are abundant and have good size structures. There is a catch and release regulation for Smallmouth Bass on the Otter…
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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