Star Lake
Star Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). 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.
- Clarity
- 17 ft
- Max depth
- 94 ft
- Area
- 4,486 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 16
Next lake in Otter Tail County
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. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. 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. 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. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Crystal clear, you can see 17 ft down. Phosphorus level: 13 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 3.4 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 40.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 17 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 13 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.4 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 40 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Star Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Star 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.
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Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 94 ft |
| Surface Area | 4,486 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 33.7 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 63% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Recreation & Access
- East QuiramPublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded 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.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
20 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-07-21 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| MMS | 94.25 | — |
| Black Crappie | 14.65 | 0.57 lb |
| Bluegill | 14.19 | 0.3 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 10.47 | 0.14 lb |
| Northern Pike | 5.09 | 1.32 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 5.04 | — |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.413 m/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (26 observations).
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2012-03-26 (2012) | 2013-05-14 (2013) |
| Ice-In | 2002-11-15 (2002) | 2002-11-15 (2002) |
Most recent ice-out: 2016-03-31
EPA Impairment Status
Star Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN56-0385-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #11 of 66 lakes in Otter Tail County
Nearby Lakes in Otter Tail County
Frequently asked questions about Star Lake
What is the water quality grade for Star Lake?
- Star Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). 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?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Star Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 3.4 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
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.
When does Star Lake thaw?
- Star Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 16.
Are there boat ramps on Star Lake?
- Star Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include East Quiram. Public access is listed as yes.
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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)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate