Lizzie Lake
Lizzie Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 16.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 66 ft. Surface area: 1913.41 acres.
- Clarity
- 16.4 ft
- Max depth
- 66 ft
- Area
- 1,913 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 25
- Open water
- 213 days
Next lake in Otter Tail County
Free interactive depth-contour map of Lizzie Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 60 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Lizzie Lake is a 1,913-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 66 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 21 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 65 other monitored lakes in Otter Tail County, Lizzie Lake ranks #15 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 16.4 ft down. Phosphorus level: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 2.7 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 39.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 16.4 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 13 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.7 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 39 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Lizzie Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lizzie 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.
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Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Lizzie Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (20,137 cells/mL) on April 25, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 66 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,913 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 9.7 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 43% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Lizzie LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Lizzie 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
15 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-06-09 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 20.83 | — |
| Green Sunfish | 18.76 | 0.08 lb |
| Bluegill | 16.60 | 0.16 lb |
| IOD | 12.42 | — |
| Spottail Shiner | 11.55 | — |
| BNS | 11.50 | — |
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.
Green Sunfish
Bluegill
From the 2025-06-09 survey
Lizzie Lake is a 4,035-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in northwestern Otter Tail County approximately six miles northeast of Pelican Rapids, MN. Lizzie Lake is located within the Otter Tail River Watershed. Lizzie Lake is connected to Pelican Lake and Prairie Lake via the Pelican River. The Pelican…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Lizzie Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Lizzie (north portion)Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Lizzie (north portion)Fish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Lizzie (north portion)Public 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 | → Stable | +0.043 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | -0.13 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.09 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (7 observations).
Estimated open water season: 213 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2015-04-11 (2015) | 2018-04-30 (2018) |
| Ice-In | 2018-11-13 (2018) | 2024-11-30 (2024) |
Most recent ice-out: 2019-04-25
EPA Impairment Status
Lizzie Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN56-0760-01 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.47 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #15 of 66 lakes in Otter Tail County
Nearby Lakes in Otter Tail County
Frequently asked questions about Lizzie Lake
What is the water quality grade for Lizzie Lake?
- Lizzie Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 16.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Maximum depth: 66 ft. Surface area: 1913.41 acres.
Is Lizzie Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Lizzie Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 2.7 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Lizzie Lake?
- Lizzie Lake has a maximum depth of 66 feet. The lake covers 1913.41 acres.
What fish are in Lizzie Lake?
- Fish species found in Lizzie Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, freshwater drum, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Lizzie Lake is located in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
When does Lizzie Lake thaw?
- Lizzie Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 25. Ice typically forms around Nov 24. The open water season is approximately 213 days.
Does Lizzie Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Lizzie Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (20,137 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Lizzie Lake?
- Lizzie Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lizzie Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Lizzie Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
109 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA109 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 (2)
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