Round Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota273 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Round Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- zebra mussel
- 36 ft max depth
- Public access
Round Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 36 ft. Surface area: 273.19 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 16, 2010 caught 1.33 walleye per gill net at Round Lake. DNR survey details →
Round Lake is a 273-acre mesotrophic lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 36 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 65 other monitored lakes in Otter Tail County, Round Lake ranks #49 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Round Lake covers about 270 acres in Otter Tail County. It has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Round Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Round Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing13 species recorded
- Deep water36 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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Round 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 Round Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Round Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.9 ft. Phosphorus 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 7.1 µg/L. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 21µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 7.1µg/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. | 48 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Round Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Round Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°F) and coldest in May (about 55°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (55°F) to its warmest (78°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 25 field readings (2010–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Round Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Round Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (50,119 cells/mL) on July 18, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 16, 2010 caught 1.33 walleye per gill net at Round Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Round 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
5 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2010-06-16 (Standard Survey).
5 surveys on file · most recent 2010-06-16 (Standard Survey)
16 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 68.63 | 3–7 in 2010-06-16 | 0.15 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 27.99 | 9–11 in 2010-06-16 | 0.39 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 17.29 | 4–8 in 2010-06-16 | 0.11 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 10.21 | 3–7 in 2010-06-16 | 0.18 lb |
| Northern Pike | 9.13 | 11–31 in 2010-06-16 | 1.42 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 7.81 | 9–10 in 2010-06-16 | 0.4 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
Black Bullhead
Yellow Perch
Pumpkinseed
From the 2010-06-16 survey
Round Lake is a 262 acre eutrophic (fertile) lake located in central Otter Tail County approximately four miles north of Ottertail, MN. The immediate watershed consists primarily of hardwood woodlots and marshland. It has a maximum depth of 36 feet; however, 84% of the lake is 15 feet or less in depth. The secchi disk…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Round Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — RoundFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — RoundFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — RoundPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
36 ft
Surface area
273 acres
Shoreline
2.4 mi
Littoral zone
81%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,316 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Round 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 Round Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Round 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 Round Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Round Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Round 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-2.34 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable+0.02 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Otter Tail County
Frequently asked questions about Round Lake
Where is Round Lake?
- Round 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 Round Lake?
- Round Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 36 ft. Surface area: 273.19 acres.
Is Round Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Round Lake?
- Round Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September, from 25 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Round Lake?
- Round Lake has a maximum depth of 36 feet. The lake covers 273.19 acres.
What fish are in Round Lake?
- Fish species found in Round Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Round Lake is located in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Round Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 16, 2010 caught 1.33 walleye per gill net at Round Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Round 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.
Does Round Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Round Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (50,119 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Round Lake?
- Round Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Round Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Round Lake?
- Round 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 Round Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
88 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
MNPCA88 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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory