Wright Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota67 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Wright Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- zebra mussel
- 32 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Wright Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.7 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 32 ft. Surface area: 66.56 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 20, 2016 caught 3.00 walleye per gill net at Wright Lake. DNR survey details →
Wright Lake is a 67-acre lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 32 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-08-26. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Wright Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water13.7 ft of visibility
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Deep water32 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Wright 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 Wright Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Wright 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 13.7 ft. TSI 39.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 13.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 39 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Wright Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Wright Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 63°F. Usually warmest in Sep (about 69°F) and coldest in May (about 53°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (53°F) to its warmest (69°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 26 field readings (2016–2016) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Wright Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 20, 2016 caught 3.00 walleye per gill net at Wright Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Wright Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 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: 2016-06-20 (Standard Survey).
6 surveys on file · most recent 2016-06-20 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smallmouth Bass | 19.98 | 8–18 in 2011-08-17 | 1.67 lb |
| Bluegill | 14.18 | 2–9 in 2016-06-20 | 0.13 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 14.10 | 7–8 in 2016-06-20 | 0.85 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 10.84 | 4–6 in 2016-06-20 | 0.08 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 3.33 | 0.16 lb | |
| Northern Pike | 2.53 | 16–24 in 2016-06-20 | 2.15 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.
Smallmouth Bass
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Yellow Perch
From the 2016-06-20 survey
Wright Lake is a 63-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located within the city limits of Fergus Falls, MN. Wright Lake is connected to Hoot Lake via a navigable inlet along the north shoreline that is a portion of the Otter Tail River. The city water plant is located at the outlet along the west shoreline. The…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Wright Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — WrightFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — WrightFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — WrightPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
32 ft
Surface area
67 acres
Shoreline
2.8 mi
Littoral zone
54%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1,192 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,260 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
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Stays near Wright Lake
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Follow Wright Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Wright 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 readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2022–2024). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving3 years
Nearby Lakes in Otter Tail County
Frequently asked questions about Wright Lake
Where is Wright Lake?
- Wright 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 Wright Lake?
- Wright Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.7 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 32 ft. Surface area: 66.56 acres.
Is Wright 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 Wright Lake?
- Wright Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September, from 26 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2016–2016). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Wright Lake?
- Wright Lake has a maximum depth of 32 feet. The lake covers 66.56 acres.
What fish are in Wright Lake?
- Fish species found in Wright Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), golden redhorse, hybrid sunfish, lake sturgeon, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, silver redhorse, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Wright Lake is located in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Wright Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 20, 2016 caught 3.00 walleye per gill net at Wright Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Wright Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Wright Lake?
- Public access to Wright 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
7 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA7 samples · 2022–2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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 size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder