Rose

Rose Lake is a 1,190-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in north-central Otter Tail County approximately one mile east of Vergas, MN. The immediate watershed is composed primarily of hardwood woodlots. An outlet dam is located along the south shoreline. The maximum depth is 137 feet; however, 39% of the lake is 15 feet or less in depth. The secchi disk reading during the 2024 survey was 15.0 feet. Previous secchi disk readings ranged from 5.2 to 14.0 feet. Shoreline development is moderate and consists of homes, cabins, and resorts. A DNR owned public water access is located off of County Road 4 along the northwest shoreline. Shoal water substrates consist primarily of sand and gravel. Emergent aquatic plants such as hardstem bulrush and common cattail are located in various areas throughout the lake. These emergent plants provide valuable fish and wildlife habitat and are critical for maintaining good water quality. They protect shorelines and lake bottoms from erosion and can absorb and breakdown polluting chemicals. Emergent plants provide spawning habitat for fish species like Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, and panfish. They also serve as important nursery areas for all species of fish. Because of their ecological value, emergent plants may not be removed without a DNR permit. Rose Lake can be ecologically classified as a bass-panfish-Walleye type of lake and this is reflected in the assemblage of the fish community. Northern Pike, Walleye, Largemouth Bass, and Bluegill are the dominant gamefish species. The prolificacy of these species can be attributed to the abundance of suitable spawning habitat that is available. A high-density Northern Pike population exists. Age data indicate that Northern Pike reproduction is consistently good. Pike ranged in length from 10.3 to 31.4 inches with an average length and weight of 17.2 inches and 1.4 pounds. Pike attain an average length of 18.4 inches at four years of age. Walleye abundance has remained stable at a moderate level. Walleyes ranged in length from 14.3 to 28.2 inches with an average length and weight of 21.1 inches and 3.7 pounds. Walleyes attain an average length of 15.1 inches at four years of age. Data indicate that a balanced Largemouth Bass population exists and that bass reproduction is consistently good. Largemouth Bass ranged in length from 5.0 to 17.2 inches. Bass attain an average length of 13.9 inches at five years of age. The Bluegill population has remained stable in recent surveys. Age data indicate that Bluegill reproduction is consistently good. Thirty percent of the Bluegills were 7.0 inches or greater in length and 7% were 8.0 inches or greater in length. Bluegills attain an average length of 8.2 inches at seven years of age. Anglers can maintain the quality of fishing in Rose Lake by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest encourages the release of medium to large-size 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 provide anglers with opportunities to catch more large fish in the future. Rose Lake was designated as infested with zebra mussels in 2011. 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 fish species in Rose Lake was conducted on August 19 - 21, 2024, 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 18 sampling stations. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample 14 stations, and a 15-foot seine was used at one station. Deep, soft sediments and dense emergent or floating-leaf vegetation prevented the use of seines at three stations. Nearshore sampling captured 24 species of fish including eight species that are intolerant of disturbance (Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, Least Darter, Mimic Shiner, Pugnose Shiner, and Rock Bass) and one that is tolerant of disturbance (Green Sunfish). The nearshore data were combined with trap net and gill net data from an August 2024 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, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Green Sunfish and Common Carp). 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. Temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Rose Lake on August 20th, 2024, to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Cisco, also known as Tullibee, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake. During the summer, Cisco require a layer of oxythermal habitat that contains water temperatures below 21.2 degrees C (70.2 degrees F) and dissolved oxygen concentrations above 3.0 mg/L. Based on the profile from the deepest basin (maximum sampled depth 96.1 feet), the water temperature decreased below 21.2 degrees C (70.2 degrees F) at 27.5 feet and the dissolved oxygen concentration decreased to 3.0 mg/L at 31.3 feet at the time of sampling. The thickness of this layer of water in the water column was 3.8 feet, indicating that oxythermal habitat was present for Cisco. Further, the temperature at which dissolved oxygen decreased to 3.0 mg/L (i.e., TDO3, a single variable to characterize oxythermal habitat) was 20.0 degrees C (68.0 degrees F). TDO3 values cooler than 21.2 degrees C (70.2 degrees F) indicate that oxythermal conditions were suitable for Cisco at the time of the survey. Data collected by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources during the late summer period of maximum oxythermal stress (July 26th to Aug 24th) between 2006, 2009, 2013, and 2019 also indicate suitable oxythermal habitat in all four years surveyed with an average oxythermal habitat layer of almost 19 feet. The least favorable conditions were recorded in this survey during a particularly hot summer season. When inadequate oxythermal habitat is available, Cisco are squeezed into unfavorable, warmer water conditions and experience higher levels of stress. Fisheries IBI program staff also conducted a survey of lakeshore habitat on Rose Lake on June 13th, 2024, following the Score the Shore survey protocols. The survey consisted of 78 sites evenly spaced 200 meters around the lake. The average lakewide habitat score indicates the lakewide shoreline condition is moderate (77.5/100). The average developed site had poor habitat quality, while undeveloped sites generally had excellent habitat quality. Results from this survey provide evidence that the fish community in Rose Lake is healthy as indicated by an FIBI score above the general use impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. These results differ from a 2013 survey which were utilized to assess Rose Lake as fully supporting aquatic life and represented an exceptional fish community. The drop in score indicates a potential loss of the exceptional fish community. The big difference between the 2013 and this 2024 survey is that this survey had almost 19 times greater proportional biomass of omnivorous species in the trap net catch as well as having any proportional biomass of tolerant species (Common Carp) in the trap net catch. Common Carp were first sampled in Rose Lake in 2001 and were unsampled in the 2013 survey. Common Carp represented almost 20% of a total 191 pounds of biomass captured in the trap nets. The survey results will be considered when the biological health of the lake is assessed during the Otter Tail River watershed assessment process, which will be completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency. You can help protect the fish community in Rose Lake by reducing runoff, maintaining natural shorelines, and preventing the spread of invasive species.

Rose Lake is a 1,190-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in north-central Otter Tail County approximately one mile east of Vergas, MN. The immediate watershed is composed primarily of hardwood woodlots. An outlet dam is located along the south shoreline. The maximum depth is 137 feet; however, 39% of the lake is 15 feet or less in depth. The secchi disk reading during the 2019 survey was 10.5 feet. Previous secchi disk readings ranged from 5.2 to 14.0 feet. Shoreline development is moderate and consists of homes, cabins, and resorts. A DNR owned public water access is located off of County Road 4 along the northwest shoreline. Shoal water substrates consist primarily of sand and gravel. Emergent aquatic plants such as hardstem bulrush and common cattail are located in various areas throughout the lake. These emergent plants provide valuable fish and wildlife habitat and are critical for maintaining good water quality. They protect shorelines and lake bottoms from erosion and can absorb and breakdown polluting chemicals. Emergent plants provide spawning habitat for fish species like Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, and panfish. They also serve as important nursery areas for all species of fish. Because of their ecological value, emergent plants may not be removed without a DNR permit. Rose Lake can be ecologically classified as a bass-panfish-Walleye type of lake and this is reflected in the assemblage of the fish community. Northern Pike, Walleye, Largemouth Bass, and Bluegill are the dominant gamefish species. The prolificacy of these species can be attributed to the abundance of suitable spawning habitat that is available. A high-density Northern Pike population exists. Age data indicate that Northern Pike reproduction is consistently good. Pike ranged in length from 10.8 to 30.7 inches with an average length and weight of 17.7 inches and 1.2 pounds. Pike attain an average length of 19.6 inches at four years of age. Walleye abundance has remained stable in recent surveys. Walleyes ranged in length from 11.1 to 29.8 inches with an average length and weight of 20.8 inches and 3.3 pounds. Walleyes attain an average length of 15.8 inches at four years of age. Data indicate that a balanced Largemouth Bass population exists and that bass reproduction is consistently good. Largemouth Bass ranged in length from 6.0 to 17.8 inches with an average length 13.2 inches and 1.4 pounds. Bass attain an average length of 13.9 inches at five years of age. The Bluegill population has remained stable in recent surveys. Age data indicate that Bluegill reproduction is consistently good. Thirty-two percent of the Bluegills were 7.0 inches or greater in length and 8% were 8.0 inches or greater in length. Bluegills attain an average length of 6.8 inches at seven years of age. Anglers can maintain the quality of fishing in Rose Lake by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest encourages the release of medium to large-size 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 provide anglers with opportunities to catch more large fish in the future. Rose Lake was designated as infested with zebra mussels in 2011. 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.

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

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

Rose has a maximum depth of 137 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Rose is from 2024.

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