Clitherall Lake

Clitherall Lake earns an A — water clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate among the best monitored waters in Otter Tail County. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

The lake's low TSI puts it in oligotrophic territory — the cleanest of the four trophic classes, but also the most vulnerable to nutrient-driven shifts. Clitherall Lake is unusually deep for Minnesota at 69 ft, which buffers the lake against summer warming and helps the deep water stay oxygenated. At 2,540 acres, Clitherall Lake is one of the larger lakes in Otter Tail County, with 14.8 miles of shoreline supporting multiple distinct use patterns. Among the 97 graded lakes in Otter Tail County, Clitherall Lake sits at rank 33, above the county median.

Clitherall Lake is on the Minnesota infested-waters list for zebra mussels — boaters should follow clean-drain-dry protocols when moving gear to or from the lake. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 16 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. A documented public access point at Clitherall Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. Ice-out has been recorded 18 times at Clitherall Lake, with a median around Apr 14. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.