East Lost Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota447 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for East Lost Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- zebra mussel
- 26 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
East Lost Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 447.07 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 5, 2019 caught 3.56 walleye per gill net at East Lost Lake. DNR survey details →
East Lost Lake is a 447-acre lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 26 feet. Phosphorus level is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 16 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-26. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
East Lost Lake covers about 450 acres in Otter Tail County. The median ice-out date is April 20, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around East Lost Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What East Lost Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12 ft of visibility
- Fishing16 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 20
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether East Lost 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 East Lost Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for East Lost 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 12 ft. TSI 41.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12ft | 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. | 41 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about East Lost Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
East Lost Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 76°F) and coldest in May (about 56°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (56°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 140 field readings (2011–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full East Lost Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 5, 2019 caught 3.56 walleye per gill net at East Lost Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows East Lost 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
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-06-10 (Targeted Survey).
10 surveys on file · most recent 2024-06-10 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 25.12 | 2–8 in 2024-06-10 | 0.12 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 9.66 | 5–16 in 2019-08-05 | 0.78 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 4.68 | 3–7 in 2024-06-10 | 0.17 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 3.78 | 4–6 in 2019-08-05 | 0.2 lb |
| Northern Pike | 3.33 | 11–33 in 2019-08-05 | 1.06 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 3.31 | 9–13 in 2019-08-05 | 0.73 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
Largemouth Bass
Pumpkinseed
Yellow Perch
From the 2024-06-10 survey
Deer Lake is a 457-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in central Otter Tail County approximately five miles north of Battle Lake, MN. Deer Lake is connected to Otter Tail Lake via the Otter Tail River. The immediate watershed is composed primarily of agricultural land interspersed with hardwood…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for East Lost Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — DeerFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Deer (1164)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — DeerFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — DeerPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
26 ft
Surface area
447 acres
Shoreline
3.9 mi
Littoral zone
68%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Stays via Stay22
Stays near East Lost Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near East Lost Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing East Lost 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: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-2.47 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.27 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 20
Earliest Mar 15, 2024 · Latest Apr 30, 2023
Typical ice-in
Nov 24
Earliest Nov 10, 2018 · Latest Dec 7, 2016
Most recent ice-out
Mar 15
2024
13 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Otter Tail County
Frequently asked questions about East Lost Lake
Where is East Lost Lake?
- East Lost 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 East Lost Lake?
- East Lost Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 26 ft. Surface area: 447.07 acres.
Is East Lost 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 East Lost Lake?
- East Lost Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September, from 140 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is East Lost Lake?
- East Lost Lake has a maximum depth of 26 feet. The lake covers 447.07 acres.
What fish are in East Lost Lake?
- Fish species found in East Lost Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, lake sturgeon, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. East Lost Lake is located in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at East Lost Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 5, 2019 caught 3.56 walleye per gill net at East Lost Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows East Lost 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.
When does East Lost Lake thaw?
- East Lost Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 20. Ice typically forms around Nov 24. The open water season is approximately 218 days.
Can I fish at East Lost Lake?
- Public access to East Lost Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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 East Lost Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
166 measurements from 4 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
MNPCA166 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (4)
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 details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate