Wimer Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota293 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Wimer Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 58 ft max depth
- Public access
Wimer Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 58 ft. Surface area: 292.84 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 17, 2008 caught 0.67 walleye per gill net at Wimer Lake. DNR survey details →
Wimer Lake is a 293-acre mesotrophic lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 58 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 16 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available. Compared to the 65 other monitored lakes in Otter Tail County, Wimer Lake ranks #40 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Wimer Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10.2 ft of visibility
- Fishing16 species recorded
- Deep water58 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 Wimer 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 Wimer Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Wimer Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 10.2 ft. Phosphorus 18.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.8 µg/L. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 18.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 5.8µg/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. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Wimer Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Wimer Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 72°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 75°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 (75°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 66 field readings (2017–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Wimer Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 17, 2008 caught 0.67 walleye per gill net at Wimer Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Wimer Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2008-06-17 (Standard Survey).
4 surveys on file · most recent 2008-06-17 (Standard Survey)
18 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 31.53 | 3–8 in 2008-06-17 | 0.17 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 24.00 | 5–8 in 2008-06-17 | 0.1 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 5.99 | 8–12 in 2008-06-17 | 0.54 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 5.24 | 4–6 in 2008-06-17 | 0.17 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 3.66 | 3–8 in 2008-06-17 | 0.18 lb |
| White Sucker | 2.34 | 15–21 in 2008-06-17 | 1.79 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
Yellow Perch
Yellow Bullhead
Pumpkinseed
From the 2008-06-17 survey
Wimar Lake is a 275 acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in north central Otter Tail County, approximately four miles northeast of Vergas, MN. The maximum depth is 58 feet, and 39% of the lake is 15 feet or less in depth. The secchi disc reading, a measure of water clarity, was 9.5 feet. Previous…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Wimer Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — WimerFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
58 ft
Surface area
293 acres
Shoreline
3.7 mi
Littoral zone
37%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Wimer Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.67 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable-0.11 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Otter Tail County
Frequently asked questions about Wimer Lake
Where is Wimer Lake?
- Wimer 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 Wimer Lake?
- Wimer Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 58 ft. Surface area: 292.84 acres.
Is Wimer 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 Wimer Lake?
- Wimer Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September, from 66 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2017–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Wimer Lake?
- Wimer Lake has a maximum depth of 58 feet. The lake covers 292.84 acres.
What fish are in Wimer Lake?
- Fish species found in Wimer Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Wimer Lake is located in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Wimer Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 17, 2008 caught 0.67 walleye per gill net at Wimer Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Wimer Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Wimer Lake?
- Public access to Wimer 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
152 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 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 (1)
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