Little Tuttle Lake
Little Tuttle Lake in Martin County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 7 ft. Surface area: 638.55 acres.
- Clarity
- 1 ft
- Max depth
- 7 ft
- Area
- 639 acres
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Mar 20
- Open water
- 256 days
Next lake in Martin County
Why Little Tuttle Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when its monitoring record clears the evidence bar: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Little Tuttle Lake, the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Sampling here has recorded water clarity, but not phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by MPCA and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Little Tuttle Lake is a 639-acre lake in Martin County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 7 feet. The lake supports 20 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-08-21. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water quality measurements for Little Tuttle Lake
These readings exist but do not meet the evidence bar for an A–F grade — see why.
Very murky, less than 1 ft of visibility. Trophic State Index: 77.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 77 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Where to stay near Little Tuttle Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Little Tuttle Lake in Martin 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 Little Tuttle Lake
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Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 7 ft |
| Surface Area | 639 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 4.6 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 102% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Okamanpeedan LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Tuttle Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
7 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-06-16 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 89.27 | 0.16 lb |
| Fathead Minnow | 26.21 | — |
| White Crappie | 16.11 | 0.36 lb |
| Common Carp | 9.61 | 3.1 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 5.49 | 0.12 lb |
| Bigmouth Buffalo | 4.78 | 3.67 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.
Black Bullhead
White Crappie
Common Carp
Green Sunfish
From the 2025-06-16 survey
Bright Lake, a 645-acre basin located 2.5 miles northeast of Ceylon in Martin County, is a shallow system characterized by a maximum depth of 6.0 feet and a 4.4-mile shoreline lined with thick cattails and some bulrush. This emergent vegetation provides important habitat for a fish community that must endure the…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Little Tuttle Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BrightFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BrightPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (14 observations).
Estimated open water season: 256 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2024-02-23 (2024) | 2023-04-11 (2023) |
| Ice-In | 2022-11-18 (2022) | 2021-12-07 (2021) |
Most recent ice-out: 2026-03-09
EPA Impairment Status
Little Tuttle 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 MN46-0052-00 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.91 km)
Graded lakes near Little Tuttle Lake
Little Tuttle Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Martin County
Frequently asked questions about Little Tuttle Lake
What is the water quality grade for Little Tuttle Lake?
- Little Tuttle Lake in Martin County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 7 ft. Surface area: 638.55 acres.
Is Little Tuttle Lake safe to swim in?
- Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Little Tuttle Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Little Tuttle Lake?
- Little Tuttle Lake has a maximum depth of 7 feet. The lake covers 638.55 acres.
What fish are in Little Tuttle Lake?
- Fish species found in Little Tuttle Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, channel catfish, common carp, freshwater drum, gizzard shad, green sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, orangespotted sunfish, quillback, shorthead redhorse, smallmouth buffalo, walleye, white bass, white crappie, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Little Tuttle Lake is located in Martin County, Minnesota.
When does Little Tuttle Lake thaw?
- Little Tuttle Lake typically has ice-out around Mar 20. Ice typically forms around Dec 1. The open water season is approximately 256 days.
Are there boat ramps on Little Tuttle Lake?
- Little Tuttle Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Okamanpeedan Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Little Tuttle Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
5 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA5 samples · 2022
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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