Middle Lake

Otter Tail County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey

50ft Max
depth

225 acres 6 contours Public access

Paddling Index66Mixedwooded shoreline

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Depth scale

0101520304050

The lake

Survey readout

Middle Lake is mapped to a depth of 50 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 225 acres in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 50 ft
Surface area: 225 acres
Shoreline: 3.45 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 0% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Trailer Launch · Middle Lake Public Water Access Site · Minnesota DNR site

Additional depth details6 contours

Contour depths: 0–50 ft
Recorded point soundings: 50 ft

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Location

Otter Tail County, Minnesota · 15 nearest of 70 lakes · tap a dot for that lake

Chart data

Provenance

Sources: MN DNR Lake Bathymetric Contours, USGS 3DEP, USDA NAIP (public domain), OpenStreetMap (ODbL).

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Map details & sources4 sources

All layers registered to one bounding box; positions in WGS 84.

Survey-derived depth contours drape over USGS 3DEP elevation, with a USDA NAIP aerial basemap and OpenStreetMap shoreline. Color shows surveyed depth; dark lines are the survey's own isobaths.

Coordinates: 46.16791, -95.71763
MN DNR lake ID: 56025200
Vertical exaggeration: 1.98×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.2 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-25

66 / 100MixedData confidence: High

Middle Lake has a mostly natural, lightly developed setting, moderate open-water exposure, some nearby classified roads.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

Component	Rating	Points of weight	Measurement
Natural setting	Very Good	25.0 of 35	74% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (60% forest, 4% wetland; 8% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Good	15.9 of 29	mean fetch 1,227 m · 3% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · moderate open-water fetch
Motor & speed rules	Not modeled	—	Minnesota’s lake-by-lake motor, speed and no-wake rules are mostly county and city ordinances, not map data, so they are not part of the Minnesota index. Check local signage and ordinances before going out.
Public access	Good	15.0 of 18	1 DNR public access site · boat ramp
Road isolation	Good	10.3 of 18	some nearby classified roads · 4 MnDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 1,399 vehicles/day

Additional paddling considerations

These describe the lake but are not part of the v1 Paddling Index and do not change the number above.

Wake sensitivity: Low — wide enough that wakes disperse over most of the lake
Aquatic vegetation: Low — approximately 0% mapped coverage · NAIP aerial imagery (NDVI)
Observed motorized activity: Unknown — No lake-level measurement of boat traffic is available. Legal permission to operate motors is not evidence of use.
Wildlife habitat potential: Moderate — 60% forest and 4% wetland cover within 150 m of shore

Compare Minnesota lakes by Paddling Index →

How this index is calculated. The Paddling Index is a relative composite derived from lake geometry and public land-cover, access and traffic-count data. It is not a user review, a safety rating, or a prediction of an individual outing. Differences of a few points should not be treated as meaningful — an 84 and an 82 are broadly comparable. Components and weights for Minnesota lakes: natural setting 35%, geometric wind exposure 29%, public access 18%, road isolation 18%. Motor, speed and no-wake rules are not modeled for Minnesota, and traffic counts cover state, county and some city roads but not township roads. Where a component has no data the remaining weights are renormalized and the confidence rating is lowered; below Medium confidence no number is shown. Minnesota scores are relative to other Minnesota lakes and are not directly comparable with Paddling Index scores on our sister sites, which use different data sources, some with a watercraft-rules component. Sources: MN DNR lake bathymetry outline, USGS/MRLC NLCD Land Cover (2021), MN DNR Water Access Sites and Fishing Piers & Shore Fishing Sites (2026-09) and MnDOT Annual Average Daily Traffic (counts 2015–2025). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from DNR surveys

9 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colors, not photographs (provenance).

Hybrid Sunfish

About these fish → the Fish of Minnesota guide

Compiled from Minnesota DNR fishery surveys. Silhouettes are stylized and scaled to typical adult sizes relative to one another. Presence is not a promise — fishing isn’t a sure thing.

Fishery

surveyed 2008

672Fish sampled

9Species

Gamefish Largemouth Bass 48 · Northern Pike 17 · Walleye 2

Panfish Bluegill 352 · Hybrid Sunfish 75 · Black Crappie 52

All survey species9 species

Gamefish

Largemouth Bass48 caught · to 20″

Northern Pike17 caught · to 36″

Walleye2 caught · to 22″

Panfish

Bluegill352 caught · to 9″

Hybrid Sunfish75 caught · to 9″

Black Crappie52 caught · to 12″

Pumpkinseed18 caught · to 8″

Bullhead & catfish

Yellow Bullhead104 caught · to 12″

Brown Bullhead4 caught · to 15″

Length is the largest fish netted in the survey, not an angler record. Source: Minnesota DNR lake survey (LakeFinder).

Infested waters listing

listed via connection

Mussels & snails

Zebra MusselListed in 2020 because this water is connected to Eagle (56-0253). The species has not necessarily been found in this lake.

What does the infested waters list mean?

The Minnesota DNR lists a lake, river, pond or wetland as infested when it contains an aquatic invasive species that could spread to other waters, or when it is connected to a water where one is present. Activities such as bait harvest and water use are managed differently on infested waters. Check the current list before moving water, bait or equipment.

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. List of Infested Waters, September 9, 2026. https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/ais/infested.html

Quick answers

Middle Lake — common questions

How deep is Middle Lake?

The deepest contour on the Minnesota DNR bathymetric survey of Middle Lake is 50 ft. That is the deepest depth the historical survey map records, which may differ from the deepest point of the lake itself.

How big is Middle Lake?

Middle Lake covers about 225 acres in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.

What fish are in Middle Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead. The page lists all 9 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Middle Lake?

Yes. The Minnesota DNR lists a public access site on Middle Lake: a boat ramp with a boat dock. It is administered by the DNR Division of Parks and Trails. DNR directions: "From the intersection of state highway 78 go 1 mile west on otter tail county highway 126 to Grue church road. Turn north on Grue church road for .5 mi to access on the right."

More lakes in Otter Tail County