Belmont Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota285 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Belmont Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 34 ft max depth
- Limited data
Belmont Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 34 ft. Surface area: 284.98 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 12, 2001 caught 13.50 northern pike per gill net at Belmont Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–30 inches. DNR survey details →
Belmont Lake is a 285-acre lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 34 feet. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-30. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Belmont Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water14 ft of visibility
- Fishing10 species recorded
- Deep water34 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Belmont Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Belmont Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Belmont Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 14 ft. TSI 39.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 14ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 39 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Belmont Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Belmont Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in May (about 62°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (62°F) to its warmest (77°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 76 field readings (2011–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Belmont Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 12, 2001 caught 13.50 northern pike per gill net at Belmont Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–30 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Belmont Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2001-06-12 (Standard Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 2001-06-12 (Standard Survey)
25 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 62.71 | 3–8 in 2001-06-12 | 0.1 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 23.40 | 5–12 in 2001-06-12 | 0.44 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 13.20 | 3–8 in 2001-06-12 | 0.14 lb |
| Northern Pike | 7.84 | 12–30 in 2001-06-12 | 1.2 lb |
| Black Crappie | 3.75 | 5–13 in 2001-06-12 | 0.26 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 2.47 | 5–10 in 2001-06-12 | 0.15 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Bluegill
Yellow Bullhead
Pumpkinseed
Northern Pike
From the 2001-06-12 survey
Belmont Lake is located in south-central Otter Tail County approximately five miles south of Clitherall, MN. Belmont Lake is a 192-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake that is part of the Otter Tail River Watershed. The immediate watershed is composed primarily of mixed hardwood forest cover interspersed with…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Belmont Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BelmontFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — BelmontFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
34 ft
Surface area
285 acres
Shoreline
4.3 mi
Littoral zone
38%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
41 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,342 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Belmont Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Belmont Lake
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Follow Belmont Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Belmont Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Nearby Lakes in Otter Tail County
Frequently asked questions about Belmont Lake
Where is Belmont Lake?
- Belmont Lake is a lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Belmont Lake?
- Belmont Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 34 ft. Surface area: 284.98 acres.
Is Belmont Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Belmont Lake?
- Belmont Lake typically sits around 71°F at the surface in September, from 76 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Belmont Lake?
- Belmont Lake has a maximum depth of 34 feet. The lake covers 284.98 acres.
What fish are in Belmont Lake?
- Fish species found in Belmont Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Belmont Lake is located in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Belmont Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 12, 2001 caught 13.50 northern pike per gill net at Belmont Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 12–30 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Belmont Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Belmont Lake?
- Public access to Belmont Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
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Where this data comes from
102 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA102 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder