Walker Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota578 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Walker Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Impaired biota (cause unknown)
- zebra mussel
- 29 ft max depth
- Public access
Walker Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 26.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 29 ft. Surface area: 578.49 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 4, 2014 caught 1.33 walleye per gill net at Walker Lake. DNR survey details →
Walker Lake is a 578-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 29 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 65 other monitored lakes in Otter Tail County, Walker Lake ranks #57 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-24. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Walker Lake covers about 580 acres in Otter Tail County. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Walker Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate 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. Walker Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Walker 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 Walker Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Walker 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 7.5 ft. Phosphorus 26.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 8.3 µg/L. TSI 50.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 26.5µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 8.3µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 50 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Walker Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Walker Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 71°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 75°F) and coldest in May (about 62°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (62°F) to its warmest (75°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 44 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Walker Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 4, 2014 caught 1.33 walleye per gill net at Walker Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Walker 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
6 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2014-08-04 (Standard Survey).
6 surveys on file · most recent 2014-08-04 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 15.04 | 5–9 in 2014-08-04 | 0.2 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 8.33 | 12–13 in 2014-08-04 | 1.24 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 7.58 | 6–12 in 2014-08-04 | 0.62 lb |
| Bluegill | 5.65 | 3–9 in 2014-08-04 | 0.3 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 4.54 | 9–14 in 2014-08-04 | 0.71 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 2.83 | 9–15 in 2014-08-04 | 0.93 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.
Yellow Perch
Largemouth Bass
Black Bullhead
Bluegill
From the 2014-08-04 survey
Walker Lake is a 540-acre eutrophic (fertile) lake located in central Otter Tail County approximately four miles west of Ottertail City. The Dead River inlet is located along the north shoreline and outlets into Otter Tail Lake along the south shoreline. The immediate watershed is composed primarily of marshland and…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Walker Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — WalkerFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — WalkerFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — WalkerPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
29 ft
Surface area
578 acres
Shoreline
4.8 mi
Littoral zone
59%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
148 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,306 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Walker Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Walker 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 Walker Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Walker 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+0.79 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.25 µg/L/yr6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Walker Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN56-0310-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Otter Tail County
Frequently asked questions about Walker Lake
Where is Walker Lake?
- Walker 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 Walker Lake?
- Walker Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 26.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 29 ft. Surface area: 578.49 acres.
Is Walker Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Walker Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Walker Lake?
- Walker Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in September, from 44 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Walker Lake?
- Walker Lake has a maximum depth of 29 feet. The lake covers 578.49 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Walker Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 4, 2014 caught 1.33 walleye per gill net at Walker Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Walker 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.
Can I fish at Walker Lake?
- Public access to Walker Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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
149 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
MNPCA149 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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder