Otter

Otter (including Campbell Lake to the north) is a moderate sized reservoir (642 acres) located in the City of Hutchinson in McLeod County. Otter has approximately fourteen miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of nine feet, but much of this shallow reservoir is closer to five feet in depth. There are two City Parks (Masonic West River and Roberts) that both have cement boat ramps with ample parking. A fishing pier can be found in the eastern arm of the reservoir and numerous shore fishing opportunities are available to anglers. The reservoir's fish populations occasionally suffer from winterkill. Abundances of those species that are intolerant of low oxygen levels such as Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Common Carp and Largemouth Bass can vary greatly from year to year. Other species are usually affected to a lesser degree but can be significantly impacted during extremely harsh winters. Species' abundances will depend on the severity of the latest winterkill event, time that has passed since the last kill and water levels of the river, which can influence fish movement, spawning success and recolonization. Low water levels during droughts can also intensify winterkill events. Partial winterkills occurred in 2022 and 2023. Fish from the South Fork of the Crow River can immigrate into Otter Reservoir from both upstream and downstream following winterkill events to repopulate the system, so the stocking of Walleye is not needed. Winter anglers are reminded to be extra careful while ice fishing on Otter Reservoir as flowing water from the South Fork of the Crow River can lead to thin ice conditions in various parts of the shallow basin. Summer boat anglers should also be aware of the numerous shallow rock hazards that are present. Fall nighttime electrofishing was used to monitor Otter Reservoir's Walleye population in 2025. The electrofishing catch indicated that fair numbers of Walleye were present this fall. Walleye were 5.2 to 21.6 inches long in 2025. Most of the Walleye sampled (56 percent) were young-of-the-year (2025 year class), and they averaged 6.9 inches in length, but decent numbers of 15 to 18 inch long fish should provide some decent angling action. Of interest, many Northern Pike were also observed during the assessment and should provide good fishing opportunities in 2026. Anglers also reported good catches of both Black Crappie and White Crappie in the fall of 2025 on Otter Reservoir. People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Over harvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are typically moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters and lakeshore owners, and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants and animals from their watercraft and drain all lake water from their boat and bait buckets before leaving the lake. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a local Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) office. Additional information on all these topics can be found on the MNDNR website (www.dnr.state.mn.us) or by contacting the Hutchinson Area Fisheries office.

Otter (including Campbell Lake to the north) is a moderate sized reservoir (642 acres) located in the City of Hutchinson in McLeod County. Otter has approximately fourteen miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of nine feet, but much of the shallow basin is closer to three feet in depth. There are two City Parks (Masonic West River and Roberts) that both have cement boat ramps with ample boat/trailer parking. A fishing pier can be found in the eastern arm of the reservoir and numerous shore fishing opportunities are available to anglers. The reservoir's fish populations occasionally suffer from winterkill. Abundances of those species that are intolerant of low oxygen levels such as Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Common Carp and Largemouth Bass can vary greatly from year to year depending on the severity of the latest winterkill event, time that has passed, and river levels that allow movement and recolonization. Other species are usually affected to a lesser degree but can be significantly impacted during extremely harsh winters. Low water levels during droughts can also intensify winterkill events. Partial winterkills occurred in 2022 and 2023. Fish from the South Fork of the Crow River can immigrate into Otter Reservoir from both upstream and downstream following winterkill events to repopulate the system, so the stocking of Walleye is not needed. Winter anglers are reminded to be extra careful while ice fishing on Otter Reservoir as flowing water from the South Fork of the Crow River can lead to thin ice conditions in various parts of the shallow basin. Summer boat anglers should also be aware of the numerous shallow rock hazards that are present. Fall nighttime electrofishing was used to assess Otter Reservoir's Walleye population in 2024. The electrofishing catch indicated that fair numbers of Walleye were present this fall. Walleye were 7.9 to 18.5 inches long. Most of the Walleye sampled (78%) were yearlings (2023 year class), and they averaged 14.0 inches in length. People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Over harvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are typically moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters and lakeshore owners, and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants and animals from their watercraft and drain all lake water from their boat and bait buckets before leaving the lake. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a local Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) office. Additional information on all these topics can be found on the MNDNR website (www.dnr.state.mn.us) or by contacting the Hutchinson Area Fisheries office.

Otter (including Campbell Lake to the north) is a moderate sized reservoir (642 acres) located in the City of Hutchinson in McLeod County. Otter has approximately fourteen miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of nine feet, but much of the shallow basin is closer to five feet in depth. There are two City Parks (Masonic West River and Roberts) that both have cement boat ramps with ample boat/trailer parking. A fishing pier is available in the eastern arm of the reservoir and numerous shore fishing opportunities are available to anglers. The reservoir's fish populations occasionally suffer from winterkill. Abundances of those species that are intolerant of low oxygen levels such as Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, and Channel Catfish, can vary greatly from year to year depending on the severity of the latest winterkill event, time that has passed, and river levels that allow movement and recolonization. Other species are usually affected to a lesser degree, but can be significantly impacted during extremely severe winters. Partial winterkills occurred in 2022 and 2023. Fish from the South Fork of the Crow River are able to immigrate into Otter Reservoir from both upstream and downstream following winterkill events to repopulate the system. Winter anglers are reminded to be extra careful while ice fishing on Otter Reservoir, as flowing water from the South Fork of the Crow River can lead to thin ice conditions in various parts of the shallow basin. Summer boat anglers should also be aware of the numerous shallow rock hazards that are present. Fall Nighttime Electrofishing was used to assess Otter Reservoir's Walleye population in 2023. The electrofishing catch indicated that fair numbers of Walleye were present this year. Walleye were 6 to 19 inches long. The majority of the Walleye sampled (63%) were young of the year, and they averaged 8 inches in length. People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Over harvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are typically moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters and lakeshore owners, and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants and animals from their watercraft and drain all lake water from their boat and bait buckets before leaving the lake. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a local DNR office. Additional information on all of these topics can be found on the DNR website (www.dnr.state.mn.us) or by contacting the Hutchinson Area Fisheries office.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Channel Catfish, Walleye, Northern Pike, Black Crappie, and Green Sunfish in Otter. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Minnesota DNR records list public access for Otter. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for the launch type and directions before you go.

Otter has a maximum depth of 9 feet and a mean depth of 5 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Otter is from 2012. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

No invasive species are on record for Otter in Minnesota DNR data. Always clean, drain, and dry your equipment to help keep it that way.