Peterson Lake

Peterson Lake pulls a D on the LakeGrade rubric — phosphorus loading and limited clarity hold it below the Minnesota average.

A TSI in the eutrophic range signals a lake doing what nutrient-loaded waters do — supporting an active algal community at the cost of clear water. At 69 ft of maximum depth, Peterson Lake stratifies reliably through the summer — the hypolimnion stays cooler and clearer than the surface layer suggests. At 2,540 acres, Peterson Lake is one of the larger lakes in Otter Tail County, with 14.8 miles of shoreline supporting multiple distinct use patterns. Peterson Lake ranks 91 of 97 in Otter Tail County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

Zebra mussel presence at Peterson Lake means the lake's clarity numbers carry an asterisk — filtered water is not the same as nutrient-poor water. Walleye are documented at Peterson Lake, one of 16 fish species on record for the lake. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. Ice-out has been recorded 18 times at Peterson Lake, with a median around Apr 14. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.