Six Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota197 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Six Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- zebra mussel
- 140 ft max depth
- Public access
Six Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 21 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 140 ft. Surface area: 196.53 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 9, 2019 caught 2.17 walleye per gill net at Six Lake. DNR survey details →
Six Lake is a 197-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 140 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 11 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and hybrid sunfish. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 65 other monitored lakes in Otter Tail County, Six Lake ranks #42 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Six Lake covers about 200 acres in Otter Tail County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 21, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Six Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Six Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water21 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing11 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 21
- Deep water140 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 Six 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 Six Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Six 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 21 ft down. Phosphorus 7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.1 µg/L. TSI 34.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 21ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 7µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.1µg/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. | 34 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Six Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Six Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in May (about 57°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (57°F) to its warmest (77°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 29 field readings (2011–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Six Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 9, 2019 caught 2.17 walleye per gill net at Six Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Six 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
7 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2019-07-09 (Targeted Survey).
7 surveys on file · most recent 2019-07-09 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 29.78 | 3–9 in 2019-07-09 | 0.16 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 13.75 | 5–12 in 2019-07-09 | 0.66 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 4.52 | 5–9 in 2019-07-09 | 0.27 lb |
| Northern Pike | 3.09 | 9–35 in 2019-07-09 | 1.64 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 2.83 | 6–15 in 2019-07-09 | 0.53 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 2.49 | 6–7 in 2019-07-09 | 0.14 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
Yellow Bullhead
Hybrid Sunfish
Northern Pike
From the 2019-07-09 survey
Lake Six is a 188-acre oligotrophic (low fertility) lake located in north-central Otter Tail County approximately two miles north of Vergas, MN. The immediate watershed is composed of mixed hardwood woodlots. The maximum depth is 140 feet; however, 34% of the lake is 15 feet or less in depth. The secchi disk reading…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Six Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SixFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Six (1140)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — SixFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — SixPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
140 ft
Surface area
197 acres
Shoreline
3.5 mi
Littoral zone
33%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
5 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,358 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Six 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 Six Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Six 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 Six 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 →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Six 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
Worsening+0.86 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.13 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 21
Earliest Apr 16, 2003 · Latest Apr 24, 2004
Most recent ice-out
Apr 23
2007
6 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Otter Tail County
Frequently asked questions about Six Lake
Where is Six Lake?
- Six 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 Six Lake?
- Six Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 21 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 140 ft. Surface area: 196.53 acres.
Is Six 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 Six Lake?
- Six Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September, from 29 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Six Lake?
- Six Lake has a maximum depth of 140 feet. The lake covers 196.53 acres.
What fish are in Six Lake?
- Fish species found in Six Lake include black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Six Lake is located in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Six Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 9, 2019 caught 2.17 walleye per gill net at Six Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Six 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 Six Lake thaw?
- Six Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 21.
Are there boat ramps on Six Lake?
- Six Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Six Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Six Lake?
- Six 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 Six Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
101 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
MNPCA101 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 (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
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