Hoffman Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota157 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Hoffman Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 20 ft max depth
- Public access
Hoffman Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 25 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 157.18 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 31, 2019 caught 98.65 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Hoffman Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–18 inches. DNR survey details →
Hoffman Lake is a 157-acre mesotrophic lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 20 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 1 documented fish species including largemouth bass. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 65 other monitored lakes in Otter Tail County, Hoffman Lake ranks #59 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-25. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Hoffman Lake covers about 160 acres in Otter Tail County. It has one public boat landing. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Hoffman Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Hoffman Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate 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 Hoffman 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 Hoffman Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Hoffman 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 9.5 ft. Phosphorus 25 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.5 µg/L. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 9.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 25µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 6.5µg/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. | 48 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Hoffman Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Hoffman Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in May (about 57°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (57°F) to its warmest (77°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 26 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Hoffman Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 31, 2019 caught 98.65 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Hoffman Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–18 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Hoffman 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
4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2019-05-31 (Targeted Survey).
4 surveys on file · most recent 2019-05-31 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 50.07 | 2–9 in 2012-06-11 | 0.2 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 25.59 | 7–12 in 2012-06-11 | 0.37 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 24.39 | 7–18 in 2019-05-31 | 0.96 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 13.43 | 10–17 in 2012-06-11 | 0.62 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 10.15 | 2–8 in 2012-06-11 | 0.23 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 9.76 | 10–13 in 2012-06-11 | 0.64 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
Largemouth Bass
Brown Bullhead
From the 2019-05-31 survey
Hoffman Lake is a 150-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in central Otter Tail County approximately four miles south of Vergas, MN. The immediate watershed is composed primarily of agricultural land interspersed with hardwood woodlots. The maximum depth is 20 feet; however, the majority of the lake is…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Hoffman Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — HoffmanFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Hoffman (1047)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — HoffmanFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
20 ft
Surface area
157 acres
Shoreline
2.3 mi
Littoral zone
95%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Recreation & Access
- Hoffman 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 Hoffman Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Hoffman 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 Hoffman Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fish Species
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Fishing Hoffman Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.11 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.11 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Otter Tail County
Frequently asked questions about Hoffman Lake
Where is Hoffman Lake?
- Hoffman 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 Hoffman Lake?
- Hoffman Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 25 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 20 ft. Surface area: 157.18 acres.
Is Hoffman 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 Hoffman Lake?
- Hoffman Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September, from 26 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Hoffman Lake?
- Hoffman Lake has a maximum depth of 20 feet. The lake covers 157.18 acres.
What fish are in Hoffman Lake?
- Fish species found in Hoffman Lake include largemouth bass. Hoffman Lake is located in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Hoffman Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on May 31, 2019 caught 98.65 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Hoffman Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 7–18 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Hoffman 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.
Are there boat ramps on Hoffman Lake?
- Hoffman Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Hoffman Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Hoffman Lake?
- Hoffman 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.
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Where this data comes from
52 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA52 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 (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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory