Fish Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota293 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Fish Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- zebra mussel
- 69 ft max depth
Fish Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 18 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 69 ft. Surface area: 292.59 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 14, 2008 caught 4.67 walleye per gill net at Fish Lake. DNR survey details →
Fish Lake is a 293-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 69 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 17 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 65 other monitored lakes in Otter Tail County, Fish Lake ranks #12 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-25. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Fish Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water18 ft of visibility
- Fishing17 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 15
- Deep water69 ft surveyed max depth
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Fish 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 Fish Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Fish Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 18 ft down. Phosphorus 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.2 µg/L. TSI 38.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 18ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 12µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.2µg/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. | 38 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Fish Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Fish Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 65°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 69°F) and coldest in May (about 51°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (51°F) to its warmest (69°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 119 field readings (2010–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Fish Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Fish Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (73,790 cells/mL) on May 16, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 14, 2008 caught 4.67 walleye per gill net at Fish Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Fish Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. 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: 2008-07-14 (Standard Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 2008-07-14 (Standard Survey)
18 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 20.23 | 3–9 in 2008-07-14 | 0.16 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 4.73 | 8–13 in 2008-07-14 | 0.7 lb |
| Northern Pike | 4.23 | 10–33 in 2008-07-14 | 1.31 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 4.05 | 3–8 in 2008-07-14 | 0.27 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 2.32 | 11–17 in 2008-07-14 | 1.13 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 2.30 | 4–7 in 2008-07-14 | 0.23 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
Northern Pike
Hybrid Sunfish
From the 2008-07-14 survey
Fish Lake is a 267-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in northwest Otter Tail County nine miles northeast of Pelican Rapids, MN. A portion of Fish Lake is also referred to as Bass Lake. Fish Lake is connected to Pelican Lake by a navigable channel. The immediate watershed is composed of mixed hardwood…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Fish Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — FishFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
69 ft
Surface area
293 acres
Shoreline
5 mi
Littoral zone
43%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Fish 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: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.31 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable+0.04 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 15
Earliest Apr 11, 2015 · Latest May 2, 2008
Most recent ice-out
Apr 11
2015
7 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Otter Tail County
Frequently asked questions about Fish Lake
Where is Fish Lake?
- Fish 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 Fish Lake?
- Fish Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 18 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 69 ft. Surface area: 292.59 acres.
Is Fish 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 Fish Lake?
- Fish Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in September, from 119 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Fish Lake?
- Fish Lake has a maximum depth of 69 feet. The lake covers 292.59 acres.
What fish are in Fish Lake?
- Fish species found in Fish Lake include black bullhead, 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. Fish Lake is located in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Fish Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 14, 2008 caught 4.67 walleye per gill net at Fish Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Fish Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Fish Lake thaw?
- Fish Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 15.
Does Fish Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Fish Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (73,790 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Can I fish at Fish Lake?
- Public access to Fish 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
125 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
MNPCA125 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
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate