Otter Lake
Stearns County, Minnesota92 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Otter Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 2 aquatic invasives
- 51 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Otter Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 51 ft. Surface area: 91.75 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 15, 2011 caught 2.17 walleye per gill net at Otter Lake. DNR survey details →
Otter Lake is a 92-acre mesotrophic lake in Stearns County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 51 feet (24-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 31 other monitored lakes in Stearns County, Otter Lake ranks #7 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-07-10. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Otter Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing13 species recorded
- Deep water51 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Otter 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 Otter Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Otter Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9 ft. Phosphorus 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 9.4 µg/L. TSI 47.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 15µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 9.4µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 47 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Otter Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 15, 2011 caught 2.17 walleye per gill net at Otter Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Otter Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2011-08-15 (Standard Survey).
4 surveys on file · most recent 2011-08-15 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 13.41 | 1–8 in 2011-08-15 | 0.14 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 8.75 | 1–18 in 2011-08-15 | 1.14 lb |
| Black Crappie | 4.08 | 4–10 in 2011-08-15 | 0.38 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 3.88 | 6–13 in 2011-08-15 | 0.63 lb |
| Northern Pike | 3.81 | 11–37 in 2011-08-15 | 1.69 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 3.00 | 0.6 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.
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Black Crappie
Yellow Bullhead
From the 2011-08-15 survey
Otter Lake is a 96 acre lake located two miles east of Fairhaven in Stearns County. The lake has good water quality and extensive stands of cattail and bulrush. Public access is through a navigable channel from Clearwater Lake. Northern pike, walleye, largemouth bass, bluegill, and black crappie are present in the…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Otter Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — OtterFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
51 ft
Average depth
24.1 ft
Surface area
92 acres
Shoreline
2 mi
Littoral zone
35%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
15 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
981 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Black PoolPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Otter Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Otter Lake
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Follow Otter Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Otter 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.
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+2.69 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.95 µg/L/yr4 years
Nearby Lakes in Stearns County
Frequently asked questions about Otter Lake
Where is Otter Lake?
- Otter Lake is a lake in Stearns County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Otter Lake?
- Otter Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 51 ft. Surface area: 91.75 acres.
Is Otter Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Otter Lake?
- Otter Lake has a maximum depth of 51 feet and an average depth of 24.1 feet. The lake covers 91.75 acres.
What fish are in Otter Lake?
- Fish species found in Otter Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead. Otter Lake is located in Stearns County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Otter Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 15, 2011 caught 2.17 walleye per gill net at Otter Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Otter Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Otter Lake?
- Otter Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Black Pool. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Otter Lake?
- Otter 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.
Explore Otter Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
28 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA28 samples · 2020–2023
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory