Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest August 9, 1999
Species recorded at Otto Lake
5 species on the Minnesota DNR list for this lake. A species on the list has been recorded here; it does not mean it is catchable today or in every part of the lake.
Stocking at Otto Lake
No stocking record for Otto Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is an absence in the published record, not a confirmation that the lake is unstocked — some waters are managed as naturally reproducing and never appear in a stocking list at all.
Getting on the water
Minnesota DNR lists the public access sites, including ramp type and parking, in the documents below.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 9, 1999 caught 2.50 northern pike per gill net at Otto Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 19–28 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Otto Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1999-08-09 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 1999-08-09 (Standard Survey)
27 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 3.39 | 1–9 in 1999-08-09 | 0.13 lb |
| Northern Pike | 2.50 | 19–28 in 1999-08-09 | 3.49 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 1.70 | 5–6 in 1999-08-09 | 0.13 lb |
| Smallmouth Bass | 1.63 | 2–15 in 1999-08-09 | 0.44 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 1.11 | 3–4 in 1999-08-09 | 0.13 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.
Yellow Perch
Northern Pike
Golden Shiner
Smallmouth Bass
From the 1999-08-09 survey
Otto Lake is a softwater lake located in the Superior National Forest, 4 miles south of Fairbanks. Due to unsuccessful walleye stocking, primary management has shifted from walleye to smallmouth bass. The primary purpose of the 1999 assessment was to evaluate adult smallmouth bass stocking in 1995 and 1997. Results…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Otto Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — OttoFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — OttoPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Common questions
What fish are in Otto Lake?
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 9, 1999 caught 2.50 northern pike per gill net at Otto Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 19–28 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 5 species for the lake in total. Those are survey results, not a catch report: a net set on one date measures what was in that net.
When was Otto Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Otto Lake is dated August 9, 1999. Survey intervals vary by lake and by species; a gap of several years between surveys is normal and does not mean the record is missing.
Is Otto Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Otto Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is not the same as a confirmed unstocked lake: it means no stocking document was published for it in the records this page draws on.
Do the water-quality readings tell me how Otto Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Otto Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Before you eat what you catch
Water-quality readings are not a consumption advisory. Mercury and PCB advice for Minnesota waters comes from MDH, and it is issued per species and per size class: a lake with clear, low-nutrient water can still carry a meal limit on larger predator fish.
Where to stay near Otto Lake
Top-rated places to stay near Otto Lake
Prices for Oct 16–18, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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