What lakes are in the Red River of the North Watershed?

239 monitored lakes drain through the Red River of the North Watershed, including Bad Medicine Lake, Big Sugar Bush Lake, Long Lake, and others. The watershed spans Minnesota.

What is the cleanest lake in the Red River of the North Watershed?

Bad Medicine Lake in Becker County is the highest-rated lake in the Red River of the North Watershed with a Grade A.

What is a HUC8 watershed?

HUC8 (Hydrologic Unit Code, 8-digit) is the USGS classification for "subbasins" — the level at which major named river systems are usually identified. The Red River of the North Watershed corresponds to HUC8 09020306.

Red River of the North Watershed

Minnesota · 239 monitored lakes · 91 grade A · 77 grade B · HUC8 09020306

The Red River basin draining western Minnesota north into Lake Winnipeg, Canada. Includes the Red River Valley lakes and the Otter Tail headwaters.

Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated Jul 20, 2026

Counties in this watershed

Otter Tail, Becker, Clay, Polk, Norman, Wilkin, Mahnomen, Pennington, Marshall, Kittson, Roseau

Monitored Lakes (239)

#	Lake	County	Grade	Clarity	Area	Depth
1	Bad Medicine Lake	Becker	A	25 ft	803 acres	84 ft
2	Big Sugar Bush Lake	Becker	A	16.5 ft	522 acres	42 ft
3	Long Lake	Becker	A	19.3 ft	415 acres	61 ft
4	Otter Lake	Otter Tail	A	18 ft	77 acres	64 ft
5	Eagle Lake	Otter Tail	A	22.6 ft	907 acres	46 ft
6	Star Lake	Otter Tail	A	17 ft	4,486 acres	94 ft
7	Fish Lake	Otter Tail	A	18 ft	293 acres	69 ft
8	Little Toad Lake	Becker	A	15 ft	406 acres	65 ft
9	Bass Lake	Otter Tail	A	17.4 ft	-	-
10	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.4 ft	3,962 acres	55 ft
11	Strawberry Lake	Becker	A	17.5 ft	1,498 acres	40 ft
12	Unnamed Lake	Otter Tail	A	15.1 ft	1,357 acres	95 ft
13	Union Lake	Polk	A	15 ft	-	-
14	Big Mcdonald Lake	Otter Tail	A	17.4 ft	992 acres	46 ft
15	Island Lake	Becker	A	15 ft	1,179 acres	38 ft
16	Lizzie Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.4 ft	1,913 acres	66 ft
17	Turtle Lake	Becker	A	23 ft	196 acres	73 ft
18	Pickerel Lake	Becker	A	18 ft	361 acres	74 ft
19	Middle Cormorant Lake	Becker	A	15.1 ft	373 acres	40 ft
20	West Battle Lake	Otter Tail	A	18 ft	5,615 acres	108 ft
21	Little Mcdonald Lake	Otter Tail	A	26.5 ft	1,316 acres	109 ft
22	Stuart Lake	Otter Tail	A	17.5 ft	740 acres	49 ft
23	Scalp Lake	Otter Tail	A	20 ft	254 acres	90 ft
24	Elbow Lake	Otter Tail	A	18 ft	188 acres	46 ft
25	West Silent Lake	Otter Tail	A	18 ft	347 acres	58 ft
26	Rose Lake	Otter Tail	A	16 ft	1,200 acres	137 ft
27	Maud Lake	Becker	A	17 ft	517 acres	32 ft
28	Big Cormorant Lake	Becker	A	24.8 ft	3,657 acres	75 ft
29	Sybil Lake	Otter Tail	A	20 ft	683 acres	74 ft
30	Boot Lake	Becker	A	19.5 ft	385 acres	109 ft
31	Kerbs Lake	Otter Tail	A	27.7 ft	-	-
32	Juggler Lake	Becker	A	18 ft	428 acres	78 ft
33	White Earth Lake	Becker	A	15 ft	1,989 acres	120 ft
34	Six Lake	Otter Tail	A	21 ft	197 acres	140 ft
35	East Silent Lake	Otter Tail	A	19.2 ft	324 acres	48 ft
36	Jewett Lake	Otter Tail	A	17.7 ft	747 acres	75 ft
37	Mule Lake	Otter Tail	A	17.1 ft	53 acres	31 ft
38	Long Lake	Becker	A	15.1 ft	415 acres	61 ft
39	West Mcdonald Lake	Otter Tail	A	16.2 ft	597 acres	62 ft
40	Hospital Lake	Becker	A	18 ft	-	-
41	Barnesville Lake	Clay	A	-	11 acres	17 ft
42	First Silver Lake	Otter Tail	A	-	529 acres	43 ft
43	Round Lake	Otter Tail	A	11.2 ft	158 acres	24 ft
44	Round Lake	Becker	A	10 ft	1,094 acres	69 ft
45	Long Lake	Otter Tail	A	12.1 ft	395 acres	88 ft
46	Long Lake	Otter Tail	A	11.6 ft	767 acres	73 ft
47	Detroit Lake	Becker	A	14 ft	3,067 acres	89 ft
48	Bass Lake	Mahnomen	A	13.1 ft	735 acres	26 ft
49	Bass Lake	Becker	A	12.8 ft	130 acres	48 ft
50	Bass Lake	Becker	A	11.2 ft	126 acres	50 ft
51	East Loon Lake	Otter Tail	A	13.5 ft	1,044 acres	105 ft
52	Marion Lake	Otter Tail	A	11 ft	1,624 acres	62 ft
53	Pickerel Lake	Otter Tail	A	14.1 ft	849 acres	78 ft
54	Clitherall Lake	Otter Tail	A	14.1 ft	2,540 acres	69 ft
55	Devil'S Lake	Otter Tail	A	14.5 ft	355 acres	67 ft
56	Blanche Lake	Otter Tail	A	12.5 ft	1,296 acres	64 ft
57	Silver Lake	Otter Tail	A	12.1 ft	529 acres	43 ft
58	Swan Lake	Otter Tail	A	12.1 ft	749 acres	44 ft
59	Trowbridge Lake	Otter Tail	A	13.5 ft	621 acres	76 ft
60	Floyd Lake	Becker	A	13.1 ft	1,178 acres	34 ft
61	Glawe Lake	Becker	A	10.8 ft	121 acres	24 ft
62	East Battle Lake	Otter Tail	A	13.1 ft	1,978 acres	87 ft
63	Perch Lake	Polk	A	10.3 ft	84 acres	19 ft
64	Elbow Lake	Becker	A	12.1 ft	995 acres	76 ft
65	Melissa Lake	Becker	A	13.1 ft	1,850 acres	37 ft
66	Little Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	A	11.5 ft	366 acres	25 ft
67	Otter Tail Lake	Otter Tail	A	12.1 ft	14,079 acres	120 ft
68	Fox Lake	Becker	A	14 ft	143 acres	24 ft
69	Mccraney Lake	Mahnomen	A	12.1 ft	-	-
70	Franklin Lake	Otter Tail	A	13.1 ft	1,088 acres	48 ft
71	Wimer Lake	Otter Tail	A	10.2 ft	293 acres	58 ft
72	Pebble Lake	Otter Tail	A	13 ft	195 acres	62 ft
73	Eunice Lake	Becker	A	13.5 ft	378 acres	30 ft
74	Boedigheimer Lake	Otter Tail	A	10.2 ft	169 acres	26 ft
75	Meadow Lake	Becker	A	14 ft	71 acres	72 ft
76	Hungry Man Lake	Becker	A	14.4 ft	144 acres	21 ft
77	South Twin Lake	Mahnomen	A	10.2 ft	1,127 acres	29 ft
78	Leek Lake	Otter Tail	A	13.1 ft	-	-
79	Paul Lake	Otter Tail	A	13.3 ft	346 acres	81 ft
80	Cottage Lake	Becker	A	12 ft	-	-
81	Pearl Lake	Becker	A	10 ft	280 acres	54 ft
82	Sands Lake	Becker	A	11.5 ft	-	-
83	Cable Lake	Polk	A	10.2 ft	194 acres	14 ft
84	Lind Lake	Becker	A	12.1 ft	-	-
85	Ice Cracking Lake	Becker	A	12.1 ft	345 acres	73 ft
86	Little Bemidji Lake	Becker	A	12.1 ft	293 acres	58 ft
87	Many Point Lake	Becker	A	10.7 ft	1,701 acres	92 ft
88	Flat Lake	Becker	A	11.2 ft	1,754 acres	-
89	Green Water Lake	Becker	A	12.1 ft	74 acres	57 ft
90	Tea Cracker Lake	Becker	A	10.2 ft	345 acres	73 ft
91	Norris Lake	Mahnomen	A	11.6 ft	-	-
92	Cotton Lake	Becker	B	11.5 ft	1,763 acres	28 ft
93	Long Lake	Otter Tail	B	12.3 ft	1,289 acres	128 ft
94	Dead Lake	Otter Tail	B	10.2 ft	7,546 acres	65 ft
95	Tonseth Lake	Otter Tail	B	10 ft	149 acres	27 ft
96	Prairie Lake	Otter Tail	B	8.9 ft	1,004 acres	22 ft
97	Ida Lake	Becker	B	12.1 ft	632 acres	20 ft
98	Sallie Lake	Becker	B	13 ft	1,280 acres	50 ft
99	Hook Lake	Otter Tail	B	10.5 ft	-	-
100	Bass Lake	Becker	B	7.9 ft	204 acres	28 ft