Otter Tail Lake vs Pelican Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Pelican Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Otter Tail Lake. Both are in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
Otter Tail Lake and Pelican Lake are both in Minnesota — a same-state head-to-head where the comparison comes down to lake-specific differences in depth, watershed, and monitoring history rather than the broader state-level water-quality regime. These two sit close on their nutrient and algae readings, Otter Tail Lake versus Pelican Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With readings this close, the choice between the two lakes turns on non-water-quality factors: depth, fish species, public access, distance from home. The per-lake pages below cover all of those.
Otter Tail Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 12.1 ft.
Pelican Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 16.4 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Otter Tail Lake | Pelican Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 12.1 ft | 16.4 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 16 µg/L | 15 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 5.5 µg/L | 3 µg/L Better |
| Maximum Depth | 120 ft Better | 55 ft |
| Surface Area | 14,079 acres | 3,962 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 17 | 20 Better |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
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Verdict
Otter Tail Lake and Pelican Lake read the same on nutrients and algae overall. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Otter Tail Lake: 12.1 ft, Pelican Lake: 16.4 ft) and what you want from the lake. Otter Tail Lake has fewer fish species than Pelican Lake.
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Where to stay near Otter Tail Lake and Pelican Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Otter Tail Lake and Pelican Lake. Both lakes are pinned on the map, so you can see which stays sit nearer the one you pick. Switch to Satellite to see how close each is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Otter Tail Lake and Pelican Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.