Otto Lake

Otto Lake pulls a D on the LakeGrade rubric — phosphorus loading and limited clarity hold it below the Minnesota average. Sub-grades cluster within a single letter of each other, which usually means the lake is in stable trophic balance rather than fighting one specific stressor.

Eutrophic conditions are the baseline here: clarity drops noticeably in late summer, and dissolved oxygen near the bottom can become a concern. Otto Lake reaches 27 ft at its deepest point — typical for Minnesota mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. Otto Lake covers 154 acres alongside 3.2 miles of shoreline — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Otto Lake ranks 172 of 187 in St. Louis County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

No invasive species are currently listed at Otto Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The fishery is bass-led, with 5 documented species across the lake's records. A documented public access point at Otto Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.