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Minnesota

Otter Tail Lake

Otter Tail Lake is a lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, with 14,025 acres of largemouth water organized around cover, points, and feeder creeks.

Surface
14,025acres
Primary species
Largemouth
§ 01Today on the water · Otter Tail Lakevia Open-Meteo · 07:30 local
Air temp
69.8°F
Barometric
29.77″
↓falling 24h(-0.23)
Wind
18mph
from S
Moon
Waning Crescent
day 26.4 · 10% lit

Air conditions sampled near the lake center, not measured on the water · refreshed ~15 min

§ 03Next 3 daysvia Open-Meteo · interpretation
  1. 8
    sepTue

    Watch the wind

    hi 83° · lo 65°

    Lean into wind-fed shorelines, all day. Wind drives bait position today; pick the shoreline taking it.

    ── stiff sw wind

  2. 9
    sepWed

    Watch the wind

    hi 71° · lo 57°

    Lean into wind-fed shorelines, all day. Wind drives bait position today; pick the shoreline taking it.

    ── stiff nw wind

  3. 10
    sepThu

    Watch the wind

    hi 85° · lo 56°

    Lean into wind-fed shorelines, all day. Wind drives bait position today; pick the shoreline taking it.

    ── stiff s wind · direction shift overnight

§ 04Field notesMinnesota

Where it is

Otter Tail Lake sits in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, covering about 14,025 acres. Where the largemouth sit changes with the season, not the map.

Seasonal pattern

Spring. Warming water pulls largemouth toward shallow, protected areas where they stage and spawn; the quickest-warming pockets lead.

Summer. Heat pushes fish off the shallows toward depth and shade; work the cooler ends of the day.

Fall. As water cools, forage and bass return toward shallower water; movement is wide, so covering water pays.

Winter. Cold water settles fish deep and slow; patience and a subtle presentation are the more dependable choice.

Key structure

  • Creek and cove mouths that funnel fish and bait
  • Weed edges and the clean lines along them
  • Inside turns where a bank changes angle
  • Submerged wood, brush, and laydown cover

The calendar decides which of these is worth time on a given day.

Forage

On Otter Tail Lake, largemouth track baitfish and panfish movements; cover, current, and season set the productive water.

Access

Access around Otter Tail Lake is generally public; verify current conditions, ramps, and water levels before a trip.

Regulations

Check current state and local regulations before fishing; limits and seasons can change.

§ 05Sources & field guides

Field guides

Data & references

  • Today's conditions — Open-Meteo, refreshed every ~15 min
  • Moon phase — local astronomical calculation, no external API
  • Lake area, depth, structure — Identity, surface area, coordinates and county/state are from the ProjectD canonical waterbody index (snapshot conus-20260518-v1, group gnis:00657700). Maximum depth and regulation links were not available from an acceptable source and are intentionally omitted.
  • Regulations — verify current state and local regulations before fishing

Last revised · Back to Lake Guide