Ocheda Lake
Nobles County, Minnesota1,691 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Ocheda Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 5 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Ocheda Lake in Nobles County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 265 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 72.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 5 ft. Surface area: 1691.34 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 1, 2009 caught 2.00 walleye per gill net at Ocheda Lake. DNR survey details →
Ocheda Lake is a 1,691-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Nobles County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 5 feet. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 4 other monitored lakes in Nobles County, Ocheda Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-09-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Ocheda Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Fishing10 species recorded
- Big water1,691 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Ocheda Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Ocheda 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 Ocheda Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Ocheda Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 1.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 265 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 72.8 µg/L. TSI 76.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 265µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 72.8µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 76 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Ocheda Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 1, 2009 caught 2.00 walleye per gill net at Ocheda Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Ocheda Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2009-06-01 (Standard Survey).
2 surveys on file · most recent 2009-06-01 (Standard Survey)
17 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 39.47 | 4–11 in 2009-06-01 | 0.19 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 27.05 | 4–10 in 2009-06-01 | 0.24 lb |
| Bigmouth Buffalo | 24.30 | 4–28 in 2009-06-01 | 1.17 lb |
| Common Carp | 18.38 | 4–28 in 2009-06-01 | 3.59 lb |
| Northern Pike | 6.20 | 14–36 in 2009-06-01 | 2.74 lb |
| White Sucker | 4.85 | 10–17 in 2009-06-01 | 1.22 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.
Black Bullhead
Yellow Perch
Bigmouth Buffalo
Common Carp
From the 2009-06-01 survey
Ocheda is a 1,700-acre lake located 2 miles south of Worthington in Nobles County. The lake has a maximum depth of 5 feet, 21 miles of shoreline, and is a class 41 lake. The lake is managed primarily for northern pike while yellow perch and walleye are managed secondarily. Local riparian owners and the Okabena-Ocheda…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Ocheda Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — OchedaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — OchedaFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — OchedaPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
5 ft
Surface area
1,691 acres
Shoreline
20.7 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
31 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,549 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Ocheda Lake (West)Public
- Ocheda Lake (East)Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Ocheda Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Ocheda Lake in Nobles 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Ocheda Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Ocheda Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Ocheda Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Ocheda Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN53-0024-01 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Nobles County
Frequently asked questions about Ocheda Lake
Where is Ocheda Lake?
- Ocheda Lake is a lake in Nobles County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Ocheda Lake?
- Ocheda Lake in Nobles County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 265 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 72.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 5 ft. Surface area: 1691.34 acres.
Is Ocheda Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Ocheda Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Ocheda Lake?
- Ocheda Lake has a maximum depth of 5 feet. The lake covers 1691.34 acres.
What fish are in Ocheda Lake?
- Fish species found in Ocheda Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, orangespotted sunfish, white crappie, white sucker, yellow perch. Ocheda Lake is located in Nobles County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Ocheda Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 1, 2009 caught 2.00 walleye per gill net at Ocheda Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Ocheda Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Ocheda Lake?
- Ocheda Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Ocheda Lake (West), Ocheda Lake (East). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Ocheda Lake?
- Ocheda Lake has 2 documented boat landings 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 Ocheda Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
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Fish species and best lakes in Nobles County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
15 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
MNPCA15 samples · 2022
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by 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