Clitherall Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota2,540 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Clitherall Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- zebra mussel
- 69 ft max depth
- Public access
Clitherall Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 69 ft. Surface area: 2539.81 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 15, 2024 caught 5.33 walleye per gill net at Clitherall Lake. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Clitherall Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 60 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Clitherall Lake is a 2,540-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 69 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 16 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 65 other monitored lakes in Otter Tail County, Clitherall Lake ranks #21 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Clitherall Lake covers about 2,500 acres in Otter Tail County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 14, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Clitherall Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Clitherall Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water14.1 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing16 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 14
- Deep water69 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water2,540 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Clitherall Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Clitherall 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 Clitherall Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Clitherall 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 14.1 ft. Phosphorus 9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4 µg/L. TSI 40.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 14.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 9µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 40 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Clitherall Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 15, 2024 caught 5.33 walleye per gill net at Clitherall Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Clitherall Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
11 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-07-15 (Standard Survey).
11 surveys on file · most recent 2024-07-15 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 76.74 | ||
| Bluegill | 39.67 | 3–8 in 2024-07-15 | 0.12 lb |
| Smallmouth Bass | 15.88 | 20 in 2024-07-15 | 1.69 lb |
| Rock Bass | 10.91 | 3–9 in 2024-07-15 | 0.3 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 8.89 | 5–10 in 2024-07-15 | 0.14 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
Smallmouth Bass
Rock Bass
Yellow Perch
From the 2024-07-15 survey
Clitherall Lake is a 2,493-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in south-central Otter Tail County approximately one mile south of Clitherall, MN. Clitherall Lake is connected to Crane Lake via a non-navigable inlet along the south shoreline. The immediate watershed is composed primarily of agricultural…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Clitherall Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ClitherallFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Clitherall (1190)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — ClitherallFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — ClitherallPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
69 ft
Surface area
2,540 acres
Shoreline
14.8 mi
Littoral zone
32%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
72 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,329 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Clitherall LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Clitherall Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Clitherall Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Clitherall Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Clitherall Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.4 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.22 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 14
Earliest Mar 15, 2024 · Latest May 4, 2008
Typical ice-in
Dec 3
Earliest Nov 22, 2002 · Latest Dec 30, 2023
Most recent ice-out
Apr 14
2025
25 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Clitherall Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN56-0238-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Otter Tail County
Frequently asked questions about Clitherall Lake
Where is Clitherall Lake?
- Clitherall 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 Clitherall Lake?
- Clitherall Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 69 ft. Surface area: 2539.81 acres.
Is Clitherall Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Clitherall Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Clitherall Lake?
- Clitherall Lake has a maximum depth of 69 feet. The lake covers 2539.81 acres.
What fish are in Clitherall Lake?
- Fish species found in Clitherall Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Clitherall Lake is located in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Clitherall Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 15, 2024 caught 5.33 walleye per gill net at Clitherall Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Clitherall Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Clitherall Lake thaw?
- Clitherall Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 14. Ice typically forms around Dec 3. The open water season is approximately 233 days.
Are there boat ramps on Clitherall Lake?
- Clitherall Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Clitherall Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Clitherall Lake?
- Clitherall Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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.
Explore Clitherall Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
138 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA138 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate