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
- Air temp
- 72.2°F
- Barometric
- 29.87″
- →steady 24h(-0.03)
- Wind
- 6mph
- from N
- Moon
- Waxing Crescent
- day 4.0 · 17% lit
Air conditions sampled near the lake center, not measured on the water · refreshed ~15 min
- 17julFri
Stable window
hi 88° · lo 71°Anytime through the day. Quiet weather day; lean on seasonal pattern and structure.
── light sw wind · settled
- 18julSat
Stable window
hi 87° · lo 64°Anytime through the day. Quiet weather day; lean on seasonal pattern and structure.
── light nw wind · settled
- 19julSun
Watch the wind
hi 91° · lo 69°Lean into wind-fed shorelines, all day. Wind drives bait position today; pick the shoreline taking it.
── stiff sw wind · direction shift overnight
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.
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