Indian Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota157 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Indian Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 37 ft max depth
- Limited data
Indian Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 37 ft. Surface area: 156.86 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 31, 1972 caught 7.50 walleye per gill net at Indian Lake. DNR survey details →
Indian Lake is a 157-acre lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 37 feet. The lake supports 7 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and green sunfish. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-09-13. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Indian Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing7 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 13
- Deep water37 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 Indian 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 Indian Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Indian 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 8.5 ft. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.5ft | 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. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Indian Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 31, 1972 caught 7.50 walleye per gill net at Indian Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Indian Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1972-07-31 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 1972-07-31 (Standard Survey)
54 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 39.00 | 0.23 lb | |
| Bluegill | 23.09 | 0.3 lb | |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 7.83 | 0.06 lb | |
| Walleye | 4.00 | 1.44 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 3.08 | 2.28 lb | |
| White Sucker | 2.58 | 2.78 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.
From the 1972-07-31 survey
Compared to their respective statewide medians, the test net catch rates of northern pike, yellow perch, walleye, largemouth bass, bluegill, and hybrid sunfish were all sampled in above average numbers. The catch rates of yellow perch and bluegills were especially high. Pumpkinseeds and black crappies were sampled in…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Indian Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — IndianFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
37 ft
Surface area
157 acres
Shoreline
3.5 mi
Littoral zone
40%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,273 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Indian Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Indian Lake
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 13
Earliest Mar 25, 2000 · Latest Apr 26, 1997
Typical ice-in
Nov 27
Earliest Nov 4, 1991 · Latest Dec 14, 2004
Most recent ice-out
Apr 19
2007
55 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Otter Tail County
Frequently asked questions about Indian Lake
Where is Indian Lake?
- Indian 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 Indian Lake?
- Indian Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 37 ft. Surface area: 156.86 acres.
Is Indian Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Indian Lake?
- Indian Lake has a maximum depth of 37 feet. The lake covers 156.86 acres.
What fish are in Indian Lake?
- Fish species found in Indian Lake include black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, white sucker, yellow perch. Indian Lake is located in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Indian Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 31, 1972 caught 7.50 walleye per gill net at Indian Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Indian Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Indian Lake thaw?
- Indian Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 13. Ice typically forms around Nov 27. The open water season is approximately 228 days.
Can I fish at Indian Lake?
- Public access to Indian 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
13 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA13 samples · 2021
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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 size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate