Star Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota4,486 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Star Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- zebra mussel
- 94 ft max depth
- Public access
Star Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 17 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 94 ft. Surface area: 4485.86 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 21, 2025 caught 0.33 walleye per trap net at Star Lake. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Star Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 90 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Star Lake is a 4,486-acre mesotrophic lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 94 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 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 65 other monitored lakes in Otter Tail County, Star Lake ranks #11 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 Star Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water17 ft of visibility
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Fishing17 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 16
- Deep water94 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water4,486 acres
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 Star 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 Star Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Star 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 17 ft down. Phosphorus 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.4 µg/L. TSI 40.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 17ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 13µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.4µg/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 Star Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 21, 2025 caught 0.33 walleye per trap net at Star Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Star 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
20 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-21 (Targeted Survey).
20 surveys on file · most recent 2025-07-21 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Crappie | 14.65 | 3–11 in 2025-07-21 | 0.57 lb |
| Bluegill | 14.19 | 2–9 in 2025-07-21 | 0.3 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 10.47 | 4–5 in 2025-07-21 | 0.14 lb |
| Northern Pike | 5.09 | 13–21 in 2025-07-21 | 1.32 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 5.04 |
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.
Black Crappie
Bluegill
Yellow Perch
Northern Pike
From the 2025-07-21 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Star Lake, was conducted beginning in June, 2025, and was completed in August, 2025, by Lake Biological Monitoring and Assessment Program (LBMA) staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Star Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — StarFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Star (1160)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — StarFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — StarPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
94 ft
Surface area
4,486 acres
Shoreline
33.7 mi
Littoral zone
63%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Recreation & Access
- Star Lake (North)Public
- East QuiramPublic
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 Star Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Star Lake
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Follow Star Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Star 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 16
Earliest Mar 26, 2012 · Latest May 14, 2013
Most recent ice-out
Mar 31
2016
26 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Otter Tail County
Frequently asked questions about Star Lake
Where is Star Lake?
- Star 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 Star Lake?
- Star Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 17 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 94 ft. Surface area: 4485.86 acres.
Is Star Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Star Lake?
- Star Lake has a maximum depth of 94 feet. The lake covers 4485.86 acres.
What fish are in Star Lake?
- Fish species found in Star 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. Star Lake is located in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Star Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 21, 2025 caught 0.33 walleye per trap net at Star Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Star 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 Star Lake thaw?
- Star Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 16.
Are there boat ramps on Star Lake?
- Star Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Star Lake (North), East Quiram. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Star Lake?
- Star 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
168 measurements from 3 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
MNPCA168 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 (3)
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 details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate