Jewett Lake
Jewett Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 17.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 75 ft. Surface area: 747.24 acres.
- Clarity
- 17.7 ft
- Typical in August
- 73°F
- Max depth
- 75 ft
- Area
- 747 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 12
Next lake in Otter Tail County
Jewett Lake is a 747-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 75 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and brown bullhead. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 65 other monitored lakes in Otter Tail County, Jewett Lake ranks #46 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Crystal clear, you can see 17.7 ft down. Phosphorus level: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 2.9 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 40.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 17.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 15 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.9 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 40 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Jewett Lake
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Water Temperature
Jewett Lake typically sits around 73°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in Sep (about 63°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 29 field readings (2010–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Jewett Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 75 ft |
| Surface Area | 747 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 4.1 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 35% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Jewett LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Jewett 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.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-05-27 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 88.40 | 1.39 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 44.81 | — |
| Bluegill | 21.04 | 0.16 lb |
| IOD | 11.36 | — |
| BKF | 7.54 | — |
| Yellow Perch | 6.87 | 0.14 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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.
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
Yellow Perch
From the 2025-05-27 survey
Jewett Lake is a 737-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in west-central Otter Tail County approximately eight miles north of Fergus Falls, MN. Jewett Lake is located within the Otter Tail River Watershed; however, there are no natural inlets or outlets connected to the lake. The immediate watershed is…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Jewett Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — JewettFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — JewettFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — JewettPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.486 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.53 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.27 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (8 observations).
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2012-03-21 (2012) | 2014-04-24 (2014) |
| Ice-In | 2018-11-12 (2018) | 2012-12-07 (2012) |
Most recent ice-out: 2021-04-04
EPA Impairment Status
Jewett Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN56-0877-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #46 of 66 lakes in Otter Tail County
Nearby Lakes in Otter Tail County
Frequently asked questions about Jewett Lake
What is the water quality grade for Jewett Lake?
- Jewett Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 17.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 75 ft. Surface area: 747.24 acres.
Is Jewett Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Jewett Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 2.9 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Jewett Lake?
- Jewett Lake typically sits around 73°F at the surface in August, from 29 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Jewett Lake?
- Jewett Lake has a maximum depth of 75 feet. The lake covers 747.24 acres.
What fish are in Jewett Lake?
- Fish species found in Jewett Lake include black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Jewett Lake is located in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
When does Jewett Lake thaw?
- Jewett Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 12.
Are there boat ramps on Jewett Lake?
- Jewett Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Jewett Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Jewett Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
63 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
MNPCA63 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)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate