Jewett Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota747 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Jewett Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Impaired biota (cause unknown)
- zebra mussel
- 75 ft max depth
- Public access
Jewett Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 15, 2024 caught 3.00 walleye per trap net at Jewett Lake. DNR survey details →
Jewett Lake is a 747-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 75 feet. 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. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Jewett Lake covers about 750 acres in Otter Tail County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 12, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Jewett Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Jewett Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water17.7 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing13 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 12
- Deep water75 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. Jewett Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Jewett 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 Jewett Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Jewett 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 17.7 ft down. Phosphorus 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.9 µg/L. TSI 40.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 17.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 15µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.9µg/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. | 40 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Jewett Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Jewett Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in September. 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.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (63°F) to its warmest (77°F).
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 →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 15, 2024 caught 3.00 walleye per trap net at Jewett Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Jewett 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
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-05-27 (Targeted Survey).
12 surveys on file · most recent 2025-05-27 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 88.40 | 7–8 in 2024-07-15 | 1.39 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 44.81 | ||
| Bluegill | 21.04 | 1–8 in 2025-05-27 | 0.16 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 6.87 | 6–7 in 2022-08-22 | 0.14 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.
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
Lake Details
Max depth
75 ft
Surface area
747 acres
Shoreline
4.1 mi
Littoral zone
35%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
4 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,266 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Jewett 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 Jewett Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Jewett 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 Jewett Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Jewett Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every 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.
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.53 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.27 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 12
Earliest Mar 21, 2012 · Latest Apr 24, 2014
Most recent ice-out
Apr 4
2021
8 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
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
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN56-0877-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Otter Tail County
Frequently asked questions about Jewett Lake
Where is Jewett Lake?
- Jewett 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 Jewett Lake?
- Jewett Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. 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?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Jewett Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Jewett Lake?
- Jewett Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in September, 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.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Jewett Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 15, 2024 caught 3.00 walleye per trap net at Jewett Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Jewett 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.
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.
Can I fish at Jewett Lake?
- Jewett 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.
Explore Jewett Lake across LakeQuality
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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)
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
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