Wall Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota727 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Wall Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- zebra mussel
- 34 ft max depth
- Public access
Wall Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 34 ft. Surface area: 726.67 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 30, 2025 caught 2.44 walleye per gill net at Wall Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–26 inches. DNR survey details →
Wall Lake is a 727-acre mesotrophic lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 34 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 19 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, Wall Lake ranks #27 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 Wall Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing19 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 13
- Deep water34 ft surveyed max depth
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 Wall 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 Wall Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Wall 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 8.7 ft. Phosphorus 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.5 µg/L. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 21µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 6.5µg/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. | 48 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Wall Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Wall Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 79°F) and coldest in May (about 61°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (61°F) to its warmest (79°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 61 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Wall Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 30, 2025 caught 2.44 walleye per gill net at Wall Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–26 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Wall 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
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-06-30 (Standard Survey).
12 surveys on file · most recent 2025-06-30 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 38.60 | 2–9 in 2025-06-30 | 0.15 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 29.44 | 5–20 in 2025-06-30 | 1.08 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 12.73 | 5–7 in 2025-06-30 | 0.14 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 6.55 | 2–8 in 2025-06-30 | 0.25 lb |
| Walleye | 5.09 | 8–26 in 2025-06-30 | 1.83 lb |
| Northern Pike | 3.74 | 17–31 in 2025-06-30 | 3.37 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
Largemouth Bass
Yellow Perch
Hybrid Sunfish
From the 2025-06-30 survey
Wall Lake is a 683-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in southwestern Otter Tail County approximately five miles east of Fergus Falls, MN. Wall Lake is part of the Otter Tail River Watershed. An unnavigable outlet is located along the west shoreline of the lake which is a tributary to the Otter Tail…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Wall Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — WallFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Wall (1149)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — WallFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — WallPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
34 ft
Surface area
727 acres
Shoreline
6.9 mi
Littoral zone
32%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
7 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,230 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Wall 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 Wall Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Wall 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 Wall Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Wall Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Wall 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
Improving-0.54 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable-0.1 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 13
Earliest Mar 15, 2016 · Latest Apr 30, 2023
Typical ice-in
Nov 18
Earliest Nov 13, 2018 · Latest Dec 7, 2017
Most recent ice-out
Apr 30
2023
19 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Otter Tail County
Frequently asked questions about Wall Lake
Where is Wall Lake?
- Wall 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 Wall Lake?
- Wall Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 34 ft. Surface area: 726.67 acres.
Is Wall Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Wall Lake?
- Wall Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September, from 61 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Wall Lake?
- Wall Lake has a maximum depth of 34 feet. The lake covers 726.67 acres.
What fish are in Wall Lake?
- Fish species found in Wall Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, silver redhorse, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Wall Lake is located in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Wall Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 30, 2025 caught 2.44 walleye per gill net at Wall Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–26 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Wall 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 Wall Lake thaw?
- Wall Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 13. Ice typically forms around Nov 18. The open water season is approximately 219 days.
Are there boat ramps on Wall Lake?
- Wall Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Wall Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Wall Lake?
- Wall 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 Wall Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Otter Tail County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Top lakes and where to stay in the Alexandria Lakes area
Top lakes and where to stay in the Detroit Lakes Area area
Top lakes and where to stay in the Otter Tail County area
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Red River of the North Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Minnesota
State Parks Near Wall Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Compare Wall Lake With Nearby Lakes
Where this data comes from
152 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
MNPCA152 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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate