Adley

Adley Lake is a 239-acre eutrophic (very fertile) lake located in southeastern Otter Tail County. The city of Parkers Prairie abuts the north and west shorelines of the lake. The immediate watershed is primarily composed of residential and commercial areas along with small tracts of agricultural land. Adley Lake has a maximum depth of 20 feet; however, the majority of the lake is less than 10 feet in depth. Consequently, the lake is subject to periodic partial winterkill. The Parkers Prairie Sportsmen's Club operates an aeration system during severe winters, which has recently minimized the severity of winterkills. The most recent partial winterkill occurred in 1996-97. The secchi disk reading during the survey was 11.0 feet. Previous secchi disk readings ranged from 1.5 to 4.2 feet. A city park is located along the east shoreline of the lake The park includes amenities such as picnic shelters with electricity, playground equipment, fire pits, volleyball nets, and a concrete public water access. Shoal water substrates consist primarily of gravel and sand. Hardstem bulrush and common cattails are abundant in several areas around the lake; however, they are most prevalent in the southern basin. These emergent plants provide valuable fish and wildlife habitat and are critical for maintaining good water quality. They provide critical spawning and nursery habitat for species of fish such as Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, and panfish. They protect shorelines from erosion and can absorb and break down pollutants. Because of their ecological importance, bulrush and cattails may not be removed without a DNR permit. A standard fisheries survey was conducted to analyze the fish community of Adley Lake. Walleye, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass and Bluegill are the dominant gamefish species present. Walleyes are moderately abundant. Walleyes ranged in length from 12.2 to 26.3 inches with an average length and weight of 19.0 inches and 2.5 pounds. Walleyes attain an average length of 14.9 inches at four years of age. A viable Walleye population is sustained by Walleye stocking efforts from MN DNR Fisheries and the Parkers Prairie Sportsmen's Club. Northern Pike abundance is also at a moderate level. Northern Pike ranged in length from 17.2 to 31.4 inches with an average length and weight of 22.0 inches and 2.3 pounds. Northern Pike growth is fast as they attain an average length of 23.3 inches at four years of age. A very abundant Largemouth Bass population with a quality size structure is present. Age data indicate that bass exhibit consistently good reproduction. Forty-seven percent of the Largemouth Bass were 15.0 inches or greater in length. Largemouth Bass growth is also fast with an average length of 14.5 inches at five years of age. Bluegills have consistently remained abundant. Age data indicate that the 2019 and 2020-year classes are strong and should provide good Bluegill angling for several years. Forty-four percent of the Bluegills were 7.0 inches or greater in length. Bluegills attain an average length of 7.7 inches at seven years of age. There are no special or experimental fish harvest regulations in effect for Adley Lake. Anglers can help maintain the quality of angling by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest encourages the release of medium to large fish while allowing the harvest of the more abundant smaller fish for table fare. Releasing the medium to large fish will ensure that the lake will have enough spawning age fish on an annual basis and will provide anglers with more opportunities to catch large fish in the future. Adley Lake was listed as infested with zebra mussels in 2016. Aquatic invasive species are threatening Minnesota waters. Aquatic invasive species can potentially harm water quality, water recreation, aquatic habitat, native species, and fish populations. Anglers can help prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species by following watercraft transportation laws.

A targeted survey of nearshore and littoral fish species in Adley Lake was conducted on August 14-15, 2023, by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at ten sampling stations, a 50-foot seine was used to sample two stations and a 15-foot seine was used at eight stations. Nearshore sampling captured eleven species of fish including one species that is intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Iowa Darter) and none that are tolerant of disturbance. A concurrent summer trap net survey was also conducted by IBI Program staff. Nine trap nets were set along the shoreline in locations that encompassed multiple habitat types. Trap net sampling captured eight species of fish, including none that were intolerant or tolerant of disturbance. Yellow Bullhead and Bluegill comprised a majority of the catch by number, whereas Yellow Bullhead comprised a majority by biomass. The nearshore and trap net data were combined with gill net data from an August 2020 survey to describe the fish community and provide a fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Blackchin Shiner, Least Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Black Bullhead and Green Sunfish). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. Results from this survey are similar to previous survey findings and indicate that the fish community in Adley Lake is healthy as indicated by an FIBI score above the impairment threshold determined for similar shallow lakes. These results will be considered when the biological health of the lake is assessed during the Redeye River Watershed assessment process, which will be completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

Fergus Falls Area Fisheries staff conducted a targeted nearshore survey of Adley Lake on August 6th, 2021. Nearshore sampling captured seven native species of fish including one species that is intolerant of habitat disturbance (Iowa Darter). The nearshore survey data was combined with standard gill net and trap net survey data from the week of August 3rd to calculate a Fish IBI (FIBI) score for assessing the aquatic life use of Adley Lake. FIBI Tool 7 was used for scoring, resulting in a FIBI score of 37, which slightly exceeds the impairment threshold value (36) for this tool. The high proportion of individuals sampled in the nearshore sampling that are classified as vegetative dwelling and the proportion of biomass in the gill nets from top carnivores most positively influenced the FIBI score. The primary negative influences on the FIBI score are the number of species sampled that are tolerant of stressors and the number of species sampled that are classified as insectivores. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Redeye River Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

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

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

Adley has a maximum depth of 20 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Adley is from 2025.

Yes — Adley has confirmed zebra mussel. Clean, drain, and dry your equipment to avoid spreading invasives to other waters.