Ocheda

Ocheda is a 1,700-acre lake located 2 miles south of Worthington in Nobles County. The lake has a maximum depth of 5 feet, 21 miles of shoreline, and is a class 41 lake. The lake is managed primarily for northern pike while yellow perch and walleye are managed secondarily. Local riparian owners and the Okabena-Ocheda Watershed District met in 2010 to develop a plan that would improve the water quality in Ocheda Lake. Lowering water levels and reducing common carp populations were some of the topics discussed at the meeting. An aeration system is operated on the lake to help prevent winterkill but was not operated during the winter of 2009-10. Oxygen Levels did drop below 2 ppm in February of 2010. Northern pike numbers are high when compared to other lakes with similar morphology and chemical characteristics. Lengths of northern pike caught in our gill nets ranged from 15.8 to 25.2 inches and averaged 20.9 inches. Trap nets sampled some larger northern pike. Lengths of northern pike caught in our trap nets in 2009 ranged from 14.9 to 36.2 inches with and averaged 25.0 inches. Yellow perch numbers were similar to other lakes like Ocheda. Lengths of yellow perch caught in our gill nets ranged from 6.7 to 10.0 inches and averaged 8.1 inches. Walleye numbers are low when compared to other lakes like Ocheda. All walleye caught in our gill nets were age 3 and likely originated from a fry stocking in Okabena Lake in 2006. High water levels during the spring of 2006 may have allowed walleye fry to drift over the dam and eventually end up in Ocheda Lake. Carp have historically been a problem in Ocheda and is likely one of the major causes of the poor water quality in the lake. The carp population is extremely high with the gill net catch rates being four times higher than what we would expect in lakes similar to Ocheda. Lengths of carp caught in our gill nets ranged from 4.9 to 21.5 inches and averaged 16.9 inches. Lengths of carp caught in our trap nets ranged from 15.8 to 28.4 inches and averaged 20.8 inches. If you are looking for a meal of spring bullhead, Ocheda would be a good choice. Lengths of black bullhead caught in our trap nets ranged from 7.0 to 11.3 inches and averaged 8.0 inches. Other fish sampled during our population assessment included bigmouth buffalo, black crappie, and white crappie. To maintain a healthy fishery in Ocheda Lake, we need to promote Best Management Practices (BMPs) within the watershed to help reduce nutrients entering the lake. High nutrients and sediments in a lake can cause algae blooms and reduce water clarity.

Ocheda Lake is managed for northern pike and yellow perch because these species can tolerate low oxygenlevelsbetter than other game species. Ocheda Lake is a very shallow lake and it often experiences low oxygen duringthe winter. However, complete winterkills of northern pike and yellow perch have never been documented. Evenduring the drought years, little or no evidence was collected that suggested any winterkill had occurred. The northern pike population has done quite well for the last six years. Northern pike numbers have remainednear average for lakes similar to Ocheda Lake. Northern pike lengths ranged from 16.5 to 30.0 inches. Most ofthe northern pike sampled during the 1994 summer survey were one and two year old fish. These northern pike wereproduced during the high water years of 1992 and 1993. Northern pike natural reproduction typically improvesduring years of high water because they like to spawn on flooded vegetation. The yellow perch have also been doing well in Ocheda Lake. Actually, yellow perch numbers have almostdoubled since 1989. As of 1994, the yellow perch population was about 5 times higher than what would beconsidered normal for lakes like Ocheda. Six different year classes of yellow perch were identified by agingscales. It takes yellow perch in Ocheda Lake three years to reach 8 inches, which is about average. Yellow perchlengths ranged from 4.9 to 13.4 inches, and averaged almost 8 inches. The yellow perch have been successful overthe last few years in producing young fish. Anglers should give this lake a try if they enjoy fishing fornorthern pike and yellow perch.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Walleye, Black Crappie, and White Crappie in Ocheda. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

We don't have a confirmed public access point on record for Ocheda. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for current access details before you go.

Ocheda has a maximum depth of 5 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Ocheda is from 2009. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

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