Graham Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota217 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Graham Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 34 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Graham Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 25.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 34 ft. Surface area: 216.8 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 10, 2002 caught 2.83 walleye per gill net at Graham Lake. DNR survey details →
Graham Lake is a 217-acre lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 34 feet. Overall water quality is declining 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 2023-07-17. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Graham Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing16 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 Graham 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 Graham Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Graham Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.4 ft. Phosphorus 25.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.7 µg/L. TSI 47.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 25.5µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.7µg/L | Measured, not scored 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. | 47 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Graham Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 10, 2002 caught 2.83 walleye per gill net at Graham Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Graham 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
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2002-06-10 (Standard Survey).
2 surveys on file · most recent 2002-06-10 (Standard Survey)
24 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 26.80 | 3–9 in 2002-06-10 | 0.31 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 12.98 | 8–11 in 2002-06-10 | 0.57 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 12.00 | 5–9 in 2002-06-10 | 0.1 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 8.28 | 4–8 in 2002-06-10 | 0.21 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 4.96 | 4–7 in 2002-06-10 | 0.21 lb |
| Northern Pike | 4.83 | 9–32 in 2002-06-10 | 1.93 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
Black Bullhead
Yellow Perch
Hybrid Sunfish
From the 2002-06-10 survey
Graham Lake is a 210-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in north-central Otter Tail County one mile southwest of Frazee, MN. The northern portion of the lake is located within Becker County. Graham Lake is connected to Wimar Lake via a culvert under a township road along the southeast shoreline. The…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Graham Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — GrahamFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
34 ft
Surface area
217 acres
Shoreline
2.9 mi
Littoral zone
58%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Graham Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.67 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable-0.11 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Otter Tail County
Frequently asked questions about Graham Lake
Where is Graham Lake?
- Graham 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 Graham Lake?
- Graham Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 25.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 34 ft. Surface area: 216.8 acres.
Is Graham Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Graham Lake?
- Graham Lake has a maximum depth of 34 feet. The lake covers 216.8 acres.
What fish are in Graham Lake?
- Fish species found in Graham Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Graham Lake is located in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Graham Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 10, 2002 caught 2.83 walleye per gill net at Graham Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Graham 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.
Can I fish at Graham Lake?
- Public access to Graham 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 Graham Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
6 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA6 samples · 2023
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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 details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder