Deer Lake

Details

DNR lake ID

56029800

County

Otter Tail

Surface area

447 acres

Maximum depth

26 feet

Shallow water (littoral) area

306 acres, 68% of the lake

Shoreline

3.9 miles

Average water clarity

9.1 feet (Secchi disk, 3 readings)

Latest DNR fish survey

June 2024, targeted survey

Surveys on record

10, since 1979

Game fish caught in the 2024 survey

bluegill 314, pumpkinseed 68, hybrid sunfish 45, green sunfish 1

Fish species recorded

black crappie, bluegill, crappie, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, lake sturgeon, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, yellow perch, and 10 other species

Stocked in 2025

walleye fry (306,000)

Stocked in 2023

walleye fry (306,000)

Stocked in 2021

walleye fry (306,000)

Stocking years on record

5 of the last 10 (2017 to 2025)

Deer Lake Public Water Access Site

trailer launch, concrete slab ramp, 1 dock, 15 trailer spaces, run by DNR Division of Parks and Trails

Infested waters list

zebra mussel

Special regulation, Including connected Otter Tail River

Sunfish: Daily limit 10.

Fish consumption

Follow the statewide guidelines; fish from this lake have not been tested

Size

100 to 499 acres

Deepest point

15 to 29 feet

Public access

Yes

Stocked in the last 3 years

Yes

Sources

• Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
  Checked September 24, 2026
• Minnesota DNR Public Water Access Sites
  Checked September 24, 2026

Survey catches show what DNR nets and electrofishing found on the survey date, not how the fishing is today. Check the current regulations and the Department of Health advice before you keep fish, and confirm access conditions before you tow a boat.