Otrey Lake
Big Stone County, Minnesota475 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Otrey Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 8 ft max depth
- Limited data
Otrey Lake in Big Stone County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 431 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 156 µg/L. Maximum depth: 8 ft. Surface area: 475.26 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 11, 2018 caught 142.50 black bullhead per gill net at Otrey Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–13 inches. DNR survey details →
Otrey Lake is a 475-acre lake in Big Stone County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 8 feet (5-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 4 documented fish species including black bullhead, common carp, and orangespotted sunfish. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-06-27. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Otrey Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing4 species recorded
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Otrey 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 Otrey Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Otrey 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 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 431 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 156 µg/L. TSI 83.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 431µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 156µg/L | Measured, not scored The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 83 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Otrey Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 11, 2018 caught 142.50 black bullhead per gill net at Otrey Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–13 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Otrey Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is improving. 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: 2018-06-11 (Standard Survey).
2 surveys on file · most recent 2018-06-11 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fathead Minnow | 324.20 | ||
| Black Bullhead | 52.18 | 4–13 in 2018-06-11 | 0.09 lb |
| Common Carp | 19.42 | 5–27 in 2018-06-11 | 0.7 lb |
| White Sucker | 1.68 | 6–16 in 2018-06-11 | 0.49 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
Common Carp
White Sucker
From the 2018-06-11 survey
Otrey is a highly productive, 562-acre lake located six miles northeast of Ortonville in Big Stone County. No public boat access exists. Otrey's maximum depth was eight feet during 2018, which has been typical for years with average to above average precipitation. However, its maximum depth was only 3.5 feet in 1991…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Otrey Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — OtreyFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
8 ft
Average depth
5 ft
Surface area
475 acres
Shoreline
8.1 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
47 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,079 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Otrey Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Otrey Lake in Big Stone 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 Otrey Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Otrey Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2022–2023). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+369 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-139.2 µg/L/yr2 years
Nearby Lakes in Big Stone County
Frequently asked questions about Otrey Lake
Where is Otrey Lake?
- Otrey Lake is a lake in Big Stone County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Otrey Lake?
- Otrey Lake in Big Stone County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 431 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 156 µg/L. Maximum depth: 8 ft. Surface area: 475.26 acres.
Is Otrey Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Otrey Lake?
- Otrey Lake has a maximum depth of 8 feet and an average depth of 5 feet. The lake covers 475.26 acres.
What fish are in Otrey Lake?
- Fish species found in Otrey Lake include black bullhead, common carp, orangespotted sunfish, white sucker. Otrey Lake is located in Big Stone County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Otrey Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 11, 2018 caught 142.50 black bullhead per gill net at Otrey Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 4–13 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Otrey Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Otrey Lake?
- Public access to Otrey Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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 Otrey Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Big Stone County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Minnesota River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
4 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
MNPCA4 samples · 2022
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 2120 B ~ Color in Water by Visual Comparison
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder