Tamarac Lake

Tamarac Lake sits at a C on the grading scale — not impaired, not pristine, with summer measurements that vary year to year. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

At a TSI of 52, Tamarac Lake reads as eutrophic — nutrient-rich enough that summer algal growth and reduced clarity are expected, not unusual. At only 11 ft deep, Tamarac Lake is shallow — wind keeps the water column mixed and sediment resuspension drives phosphorus levels harder to manage. At 445 acres, Tamarac Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 6.1 miles of shoreline. Tamarac Lake ranks 85 of 97 in Otter Tail County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

Tamarac Lake is on the Minnesota infested-waters list for zebra mussels — boaters should follow clean-drain-dry protocols when moving gear to or from the lake. The fishery is bass-led, with 11 documented species across the lake's records. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.