Elbow Lake

Details

DNR lake ID

56030600

County

Otter Tail

Surface area

188 acres

Maximum depth

46 feet

Shallow water (littoral) area

80 acres, 42% of the lake

Shoreline

3.3 miles

Average water clarity

16.4 feet (Secchi disk, 2 readings)

Latest DNR fish survey

July 2023, targeted survey

Surveys on record

6, since 1979

Game fish caught in the 2023 survey

northern pike 26, largemouth bass 19, walleye 16, black crappie 2, bluegill 2

Fish species recorded

black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow perch, and 4 other species

Stocked in 2024

walleye fry (80,000)

Stocked in 2022

walleye fingerlings (1,680)

Stocked in 2020

walleye yearlings (328)

Stocking years on record

5 of the last 10 (2016 to 2024)

Elbow Lake, Bass Elbow Public Water Access Site

trailer launch, concrete slab ramp, 1 dock, 6 trailer spaces, run by DNR Division of Parks and Trails

Fish consumption

Follow the statewide guidelines; fish from this lake have been tested

Size

100 to 499 acres

Deepest point

30 to 59 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.