Spitzer Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota731 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Spitzer Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 33 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Spitzer Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 24 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 33 ft. Surface area: 731.39 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 18, 2018 caught 0.44 walleye per gill net at Spitzer Lake. DNR survey details →
Spitzer Lake is a 731-acre mesotrophic lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 33 feet. Phosphorus level 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, Spitzer Lake ranks #53 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-24. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Spitzer Lake covers about 730 acres in Otter Tail County. It has one public boat landing. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Spitzer Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Spitzer Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing13 species recorded
- Deep water33 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Spitzer Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Spitzer 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 Spitzer Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Spitzer 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 ft. Phosphorus 24 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 7.1 µg/L. TSI 50.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 24µg/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. | 50 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Spitzer Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Spitzer Lake typically sits around 61°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 63°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 65°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 (65°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 65 field readings (2017–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Spitzer Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 18, 2018 caught 0.44 walleye per gill net at Spitzer Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Spitzer Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is stable. 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: 2018-06-18 (Standard Survey).
5 surveys on file · most recent 2018-06-18 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 22.57 | 3–8 in 2018-06-18 | 0.12 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 21.44 | 5–12 in 2018-06-18 | 0.32 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 12.22 | 6–13 in 2018-06-18 | 0.48 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 9.90 | 5–18 in 2018-06-18 | 1.15 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 5.36 | 5–8 in 2018-06-18 | 0.14 lb |
| Northern Pike | 4.70 | 12–34 in 2018-06-18 | 1.43 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
Black Bullhead
Largemouth Bass
From the 2018-06-18 survey
Spitzer Lake is a 728-acre eutrophic (fertile) lake located in south-central Otter Tail County approximately five miles northwest of Urbank, MN. Spitzer Lake is part of the Pomme de Terre River Watershed. There are several intermittent, unnavigable inlets and outlets connected to Spitzer Lake. The immediate watershed…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Spitzer Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — SpitzerFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Spitzer (1158)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — SpitzerFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — SpitzerPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
33 ft
Surface area
731 acres
Shoreline
20.7 mi
Littoral zone
86%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
18 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,355 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Spitzer 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 Spitzer Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Spitzer 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 Spitzer 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 Spitzer Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Spitzer Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2021–2025).
Water clarity
Stable5 years
Phosphorus
Improving-4 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1 µg/L/yr2 years
EPA Impairment Status
Spitzer 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 MN56-0160-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Otter Tail County
Frequently asked questions about Spitzer Lake
Where is Spitzer Lake?
- Spitzer 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 Spitzer Lake?
- Spitzer Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 24 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 33 ft. Surface area: 731.39 acres.
Is Spitzer Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Spitzer 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 Spitzer Lake?
- Spitzer Lake typically sits around 61°F at the surface in September, from 65 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2017–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Spitzer Lake?
- Spitzer Lake has a maximum depth of 33 feet. The lake covers 731.39 acres.
What fish are in Spitzer Lake?
- Fish species found in Spitzer Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, channel catfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Spitzer Lake is located in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Spitzer Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 18, 2018 caught 0.44 walleye per gill net at Spitzer Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Spitzer Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Spitzer Lake?
- Spitzer Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Spitzer Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Spitzer Lake?
- Spitzer 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 Spitzer Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
60 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA60 samples · 2021–2025
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