Where is Murphy Lake?

Murphy 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.

How deep is Murphy Lake?

Murphy Lake has a maximum depth of 29.5 feet. The lake covers 306 acres.

Are there boat ramps on Murphy Lake?

Murphy Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Murphy Lake. Public access is listed as yes.

Can I fish at Murphy Lake?

Murphy 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.

Murphy Lake

Otter Tail County, Minnesota306 acresView map Directions

No nutrient or algae sampling on record from Minnesota PCA for this lake.

Max depth

29.5 ft

Bathymetric survey

Area

306 acres

Surface area

Shoreline

2.7 mi

Measured length

Impaired · Mercury
30 ft max depth
Public access

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Murphy Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 29.5 ft. Surface area: 306 acres.

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Murphy Lake is a 306-acre lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 30 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Murphy Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Boat launch1 documented ramp

Swimming conditions

No reading

Not rated

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Murphy Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether Murphy 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.

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Water quality measurements for Murphy Lake

These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Murphy Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.

No clarity data. TSI undefined.

Ask about Murphy Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

Lake Details

Max depth

29.5 ft

Surface area

306 acres

Shoreline

2.7 mi

Public access

Yes

Listed by Minnesota PCA

Recreation & Access

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

Murphy 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 Murphy Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Murphy 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 Murphy Lake

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Fishing Murphy Lake

→ Murphy Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

EPA Impairment Status

Murphy Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).

Causes of impairment

Mercury

Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN56-0229-00 · Official waterbody report

Nearby Lakes in Otter Tail County

Silver Lake0.8 miView →Gray Lake0.9 miView →Keyes Lake1.4 miView →Rice Lake3.2 miView →Wimer Lake10.2 ft clear · Mesotrophic3.1 miView →Jim Lake—View →

Frequently asked questions about Murphy Lake

Where is Murphy Lake?: Murphy 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 Murphy Lake?: Murphy Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 29.5 ft. Surface area: 306 acres.
Is Murphy Lake safe to swim in?: Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Murphy Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Murphy Lake?: Murphy Lake has a maximum depth of 29.5 feet. The lake covers 306 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Murphy Lake?: Murphy Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Murphy Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Murphy Lake?: Murphy 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.