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

919 monitored lakes drain through the Red River of the North Watershed, including Crane Lake, Bad Medicine Lake, Mud Lake, and others. The watershed spans Minnesota.

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

Crane Lake in Otter Tail County has the most favourable nutrient and algae readings in the Red River of the North Watershed, with about 9 ft of clarity.

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, Lakes & Water Quality

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 Aug 26, 2026

Counties in this watershed

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

Monitored Lakes (919)

#	Lake	County	Clarity	Area	Depth
1	Crane Lake	Otter Tail	9 ft	350 acres	43 ft
2	Bad Medicine Lake	Becker	25 ft	803 acres	84 ft
3	Mud Lake	Becker	12.5 ft	1,178 acres	34 ft
4	Big Sugar Bush Lake	Becker	16.5 ft	522 acres	42 ft
5	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	16.4 ft	3,962 acres	55 ft
6	Round Lake	Otter Tail	11.2 ft	158 acres	24 ft
7	Round Lake	Becker	10 ft	1,094 acres	69 ft
8	Long Lake	Otter Tail	12.3 ft	1,289 acres	128 ft
9	Long Lake	Becker	19.5 ft	415 acres	61 ft
10	Long Lake	Otter Tail	12.1 ft	395 acres	88 ft
11	Long Lake	Otter Tail	11.6 ft	767 acres	73 ft
12	Dead Lake	Otter Tail	10.2 ft	7,546 acres	65 ft
13	Detroit Lake	Becker	14 ft	3,067 acres	89 ft
14	Sallie Lake	Becker	13 ft	1,280 acres	50 ft
15	Deer Lake	Otter Tail	12.3 ft	447 acres	26 ft
16	Lida Lake	Otter Tail	14 ft	5,523 acres	58 ft
17	Eagle Lake	Otter Tail	22.6 ft	907 acres	46 ft
18	Ida Lake	Becker	12.1 ft	632 acres	20 ft
19	Star Lake	Otter Tail	17 ft	4,486 acres	94 ft
20	Fish Lake	Otter Tail	18 ft	293 acres	69 ft
21	Union Lake	Polk	15 ft	-	-
22	Shell Lake	Becker	7.3 ft	3,147 acres	16 ft
23	Little Toad Lake	Becker	15 ft	406 acres	65 ft
24	Big Mcdonald Lake	Otter Tail	17.4 ft	992 acres	46 ft
25	Bass Lake	Otter Tail	17.4 ft	-	-
26	Bass Lake	Mahnomen	13.1 ft	735 acres	26 ft
27	Bass Lake	Becker	12.8 ft	130 acres	48 ft
28	Island Lake	Becker	15 ft	1,179 acres	38 ft
29	Lizzie Lake	Otter Tail	16.4 ft	1,913 acres	66 ft
30	Turtle Lake	Becker	23 ft	196 acres	73 ft
31	East Loon Lake	Otter Tail	13.5 ft	1,044 acres	105 ft
32	Pickerel Lake	Becker	18 ft	361 acres	74 ft
33	Pickerel Lake	Otter Tail	14.1 ft	849 acres	78 ft
34	Strawberry Lake	Becker	17.5 ft	1,498 acres	40 ft
35	Middle Cormorant Lake	Becker	15.1 ft	373 acres	40 ft
36	Devil'S Lake	Otter Tail	14.5 ft	355 acres	67 ft
37	Silver Lake	Otter Tail	12.1 ft	529 acres	43 ft
38	West Battle Lake	Otter Tail	18 ft	5,615 acres	108 ft
39	Clitherall Lake	Otter Tail	14.1 ft	2,540 acres	69 ft
40	Two Inlets Lake	Becker	9 ft	578 acres	60 ft
41	Swan Lake	Otter Tail	12.1 ft	749 acres	44 ft
42	Mill Lake	Becker	8.5 ft	155 acres	10 ft
43	North Twin Lake	Mahnomen	8.5 ft	966 acres	16 ft
44	Stuart Lake	Otter Tail	17.5 ft	740 acres	49 ft
45	Blanche Lake	Otter Tail	12.5 ft	1,296 acres	64 ft
46	Little Bass Lake	Becker	7.9 ft	-	-
47	Trowbridge Lake	Otter Tail	13.5 ft	621 acres	76 ft
48	Little Mcdonald Lake	Otter Tail	26.5 ft	1,316 acres	109 ft
49	Poplar Lake	Polk	8.9 ft	90 acres	23 ft
50	Wall Lake	Otter Tail	8.7 ft	727 acres	34 ft
51	Elbow Lake	Otter Tail	18 ft	188 acres	46 ft
52	Elbow Lake	Becker	12.1 ft	995 acres	76 ft
53	Floyd Lake	Becker	13.1 ft	1,178 acres	34 ft
54	Glawe Lake	Becker	10.8 ft	121 acres	24 ft
55	East Battle Lake	Otter Tail	13.1 ft	1,978 acres	87 ft
56	Melissa Lake	Becker	13.1 ft	1,850 acres	37 ft
57	Perch Lake	Polk	10.3 ft	84 acres	19 ft
58	Scalp Lake	Otter Tail	20 ft	254 acres	90 ft
59	Pine Lake	Becker	8.9 ft	-	-
60	West Silent Lake	Otter Tail	18 ft	347 acres	58 ft
61	Big Cormorant Lake	Becker	24.8 ft	3,657 acres	75 ft
62	Ten Mile Lake	Otter Tail	13.6 ft	1,428 acres	51 ft
63	Maud Lake	Becker	17 ft	517 acres	32 ft
64	South Turtle Lake	Otter Tail	14.1 ft	837 acres	35 ft
65	Sybil Lake	Otter Tail	20 ft	683 acres	74 ft
66	Boot Lake	Becker	19.5 ft	385 acres	109 ft
67	Little Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	11.5 ft	366 acres	25 ft
68	Net Lake	Becker	6.4 ft	230 acres	47 ft
69	Otter Tail Lake	Otter Tail	12.1 ft	14,079 acres	120 ft
70	Fox Lake	Becker	14 ft	143 acres	24 ft
71	Loon Lake	Becker	7.4 ft	-	-
72	West Leaf Lake	Otter Tail	7.5 ft	700 acres	55 ft
73	Franklin Lake	Otter Tail	13.1 ft	1,088 acres	48 ft
74	Kerbs Lake	Otter Tail	27.7 ft	-	-
75	Spring Lake	Polk	5.6 ft	134 acres	35 ft
76	Wimer Lake	Otter Tail	10.2 ft	293 acres	58 ft
77	Juggler Lake	Becker	18 ft	428 acres	78 ft
78	White Earth Lake	Becker	15 ft	1,989 acres	120 ft
79	Johnson Lake	Becker	9.5 ft	-	-
80	Johnson Lake	Becker	9.3 ft	183 acres	30 ft
81	Pebble Lake	Otter Tail	13 ft	195 acres	62 ft
82	Little Floyd Lake	Becker	11 ft	215 acres	34 ft
83	Eunice Lake	Becker	13.5 ft	378 acres	30 ft
84	Six Lake	Otter Tail	21 ft	197 acres	140 ft
85	Boedigheimer Lake	Otter Tail	10.2 ft	169 acres	26 ft
86	Meadow Lake	Becker	14 ft	71 acres	72 ft
87	Nelson Lake	Otter Tail	10 ft	-	-
88	Hungry Man Lake	Becker	14.4 ft	144 acres	21 ft
89	East Silent Lake	Otter Tail	19.2 ft	324 acres	48 ft
90	South Twin Lake	Mahnomen	10.2 ft	1,127 acres	29 ft
91	Fish Hook Lake	Becker	9.5 ft	230 acres	47 ft
92	Jewett Lake	Otter Tail	17.7 ft	747 acres	75 ft
93	Big Basswood Lake	Becker	3.1 ft	-	-
94	Leek Lake	Otter Tail	13.1 ft	-	-
95	Tamarac Lake	Becker	6.9 ft	1,178 acres	34 ft
96	Paul Lake	Otter Tail	13.3 ft	346 acres	81 ft
97	Cottage Lake	Becker	12 ft	-	-
98	Pearl Lake	Becker	10 ft	280 acres	54 ft
99	Big Rush Lake	Becker	6 ft	-	-
100	Sands Lake	Becker	11.5 ft	-	-