Pickerel Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota849 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Pickerel Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- zebra mussel
- 78 ft max depth
- Public access
Pickerel Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 78 ft. Surface area: 848.7 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 5, 2025 caught 11.00 walleye per gill net at Pickerel Lake. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Pickerel Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 80 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Pickerel Lake is a 849-acre mesotrophic lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 78 feet (28-foot average). Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 16 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 65 other monitored lakes in Otter Tail County, Pickerel Lake ranks #17 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Pickerel Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water14.1 ft of visibility
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Fishing16 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 24
- Deep water78 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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. Pickerel Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Pickerel 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 Pickerel Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Pickerel Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 14.1 ft. Phosphorus 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.3 µg/L. TSI 40.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 14.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 12µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.3µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 40 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Pickerel Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Pickerel Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°F) and coldest in May (about 56°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (56°F) to its warmest (78°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 24 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Pickerel Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Pickerel Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (20,137 cells/mL) on December 6, 2025.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 5, 2025 caught 11.00 walleye per gill net at Pickerel Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pickerel Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
10 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-05 (Targeted Survey).
10 surveys on file · most recent 2025-08-05 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 171.19 | ||
| Yellow Perch | 22.49 | 5–9 in 2025-08-05 | 0.2 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
From the 2025-08-05 survey
Pickerel Lake is an 829-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in central Otter Tail County one mile north of Maine, MN. Pickerel Lake is located within the Otter Tail River Watershed and there is an un-navigable, intermittent outlet located along the northeast shoreline. The immediate watershed is…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Pickerel Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — PickerelFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Pickerel (1191)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — PickerelFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — PickerelPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
78 ft
Average depth
28 ft
Surface area
849 acres
Shoreline
6.3 mi
Littoral zone
32%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
12 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,319 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Dead Lake (Southwest)Public
- Pickerel LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
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Stays near Pickerel Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Pickerel 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: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.23 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.11 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 24
Earliest Mar 22, 2012 · Latest May 11, 2013
Typical ice-in
Dec 1
Earliest Nov 20, 2018 · Latest Jan 5, 2024
Most recent ice-out
May 4
2023
19 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Pickerel Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN56-0475-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Otter Tail County
Frequently asked questions about Pickerel Lake
Where is Pickerel Lake?
- Pickerel Lake is a lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Pickerel Lake?
- Pickerel Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 78 ft. Surface area: 848.7 acres.
Is Pickerel Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Pickerel Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Pickerel Lake?
- Pickerel Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in September, from 24 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Pickerel Lake?
- Pickerel Lake has a maximum depth of 78 feet and an average depth of 28 feet. The lake covers 848.7 acres.
What fish are in Pickerel Lake?
- Fish species found in Pickerel Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Pickerel Lake is located in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Pickerel Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on August 5, 2025 caught 11.00 walleye per gill net at Pickerel Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Pickerel Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Pickerel Lake thaw?
- Pickerel Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 24. Ice typically forms around Dec 1. The open water season is approximately 221 days.
Does Pickerel Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Pickerel Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (20,137 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Pickerel Lake?
- Pickerel Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Dead Lake (Southwest), Pickerel Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Pickerel Lake?
- Pickerel Lake has 2 documented boat landings 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.
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Where this data comes from
86 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA86 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent 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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate