Buchanan Lake

Details

DNR lake ID

56020900

County

Otter Tail

Surface area

964 acres

Maximum depth

42 feet

Shallow water (littoral) area

835 acres, 87% of the lake

Shoreline

7.9 miles

Average water clarity

9.5 feet (Secchi disk, 2 readings)

Latest DNR fish survey

July 2014, population assessment

Surveys on record

7, since 1981

Game fish caught in the 2014 survey

bluegill 1,042, northern pike 106, pumpkinseed 70, hybrid sunfish 63, black crappie 54, yellow perch 39, largemouth bass 25, walleye 24

Fish species recorded

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

Stocked in 2024

walleye fry (835,000)

Stocked in 2022

walleye fry (835,000)

Stocked in 2021

walleye fry (835,000)

Stocking years on record

6 of the last 10 (2016 to 2024)

Buchanan Lake Public Water Access Site

trailer launch, concrete slab ramp, 1 dock, 11 trailer spaces, run by DNR Division of Parks and Trails

Infested waters list

zebra mussel

Eating advice, general populations

sunfish: all sizes - 2 servings/week

Size

500 to 1,999 acres

Deepest point

30 to 59 feet

Public access

Yes

Stocked in the last 3 years

Yes

Lake-specific eating advice

Yes

Sources

• Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
  Checked September 24, 2026
• Minnesota DNR Public Water Access Sites
  Checked September 24, 2026
• Minnesota Department of Health fish consumption guidelines
  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.