Rose Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota1,200 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Rose Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- zebra mussel
- 137 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Rose Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 137 ft. Surface area: 1200.47 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 26, 2024 caught 2.33 walleye per gill net at Rose Lake. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Rose Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 130 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Rose Lake is a 1,200-acre lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 137 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 17 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-08-13. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Rose Lake covers about 1,200 acres in Otter Tail County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 23, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Rose Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Rose Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water16 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing17 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 23
- Deep water137 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water1,200 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Rose Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Rose 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 Rose Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Rose Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 16 ft down. TSI 37.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 16ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 37 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Rose Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Rose Lake typically sits around 56°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 58°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 60°F) and coldest in May (about 48°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (48°F) to its warmest (60°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 195 field readings (2016–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Rose Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 26, 2024 caught 2.33 walleye per gill net at Rose Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Rose 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
11 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-08-26 (Standard Survey).
11 surveys on file · most recent 2024-08-26 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 21.97 | ||
| Bluegill | 21.63 | 2–9 in 2024-08-26 | 0.14 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 16.12 | 5–17 in 2024-08-26 | 0.81 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 15.00 | 3–4 in 2009-08-17 | 0.1 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
Green Sunfish
From the 2024-08-26 survey
Rose Lake is a 1,190-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in north-central Otter Tail County approximately one mile east of Vergas, MN. The immediate watershed is composed primarily of hardwood woodlots. An outlet dam is located along the south shoreline. The maximum depth is 137 feet; however, 39% of…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Rose Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — RoseFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — RoseFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — RosePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
137 ft
Surface area
1,200 acres
Shoreline
9.7 mi
Littoral zone
39%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
14 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,339 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Rose LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Rose Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Rose Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Rose Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Rose Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Rose 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
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 23
Earliest Apr 3, 2017 · Latest May 7, 2008
Typical ice-in
Dec 5
Earliest Dec 4, 2007 · Latest Dec 27, 2015
Most recent ice-out
May 7
2022
8 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Rose Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Rose Lake (completed 1937), built primarily for recreation on the OTTER TAIL RIVER - TR, 12 ft tall and 40 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,177 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,500 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 10,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 7 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- MNDNR-Fisheries
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00964 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Rose 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 MN56-0360-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Otter Tail County
Frequently asked questions about Rose Lake
Where is Rose Lake?
- Rose 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 Rose Lake?
- Rose Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 137 ft. Surface area: 1200.47 acres.
Is Rose Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Rose 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 Rose Lake?
- Rose Lake typically sits around 56°F at the surface in September, from 195 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Rose Lake?
- Rose Lake has a maximum depth of 137 feet. The lake covers 1200.47 acres.
What fish are in Rose Lake?
- Fish species found in Rose Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Rose Lake is located in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Rose Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 26, 2024 caught 2.33 walleye per gill net at Rose Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Rose 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 Rose Lake thaw?
- Rose Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 23. Ice typically forms around Dec 5. The open water season is approximately 226 days.
Are there boat ramps on Rose Lake?
- Rose Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Rose Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Rose Lake?
- Rose 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 Rose Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
46 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA46 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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