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Otter Tail River Reservoir

Fergus Falls, Minnesota — Otter Tail County.

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46Surface acres
0.3 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 86282319).

Location & fast facts

Where Otter Tail River Reservoir is in Minnesota

The red circle marks Otter Tail River Reservoir.

Fast facts

About Otter Tail River Reservoir

  • County: Otter Tail
  • Town: Fergus Falls
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 164 mi from Minneapolis and 193 mi from Duluth, straight-line (not driving distance)

Towns and counties: U.S. Census Bureau boundaries overlaid on the USGS lake outline.

Fishing in Minnesota

Official Minnesota DNR pages. Rules and fees change; check before you go.

Good for & watch for

Good for

  • Walking. 0.3 mi of trail near the shore (trails)
  • Camping. 5 campgrounds within 15 mi (list)

Watch for

  • Non-native/invasive species. Zebra mussel recorded. Clean, drain and dry your boat and gear.
  • Cold water. Water stays cold well into late spring and turns cold again in fall. Wear a life jacket when paddling in the shoulder seasons.

Built only from the data on this page: official access lists, OpenStreetMap beaches and trails, campground listings, state and USGS invasive-species records. We don't rate crowds or water quality.

Lake map

Otter Tail River Reservoir shoreline

½ mileN

No public access sites are listed for this water in the Minnesota DNR public water access sites (Minnesota Geospatial Commons) data.

Shoreline trail

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 86282319), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: Minnesota DNR public water access sites (Minnesota Geospatial Commons). Dashed trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.

Shoreline trails

0.3 miTrail within 90 m of shore
About 15%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
East and west shoresWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 0.3 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 90 m (300 ft) of the Otter Tail River Reservoir shoreline, mostly along the east and west shores.

Trails along the shore

The dashed brown line on the lake map shows these trails. We include paths, footways and marked trails that OpenStreetMap doesn't mark as private, and leave out roads, sidewalks and snowmobile corridors. Mapped trails can still cross private land or close for the season, and not every trail is mapped, so follow posted signs.

Trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). Map data as of Oct 9, 2026. Trail lengths count only the parts within about 90 m of the USGS NHD lake outline.

Campgrounds near Otter Tail River Reservoir

We found 5 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Otter Tail River Reservoir, 1 of them within 5 miles. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

All campgrounds & RV parks in Minnesota

Green tent icons on the lake map mark campgrounds near the shore, and the interactive map shows the closest 12. Amenities are listed only where a source records them; call or check the campground's website before you go, since seasons and rates change every year.

Campground data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Pulled Oct 12, 2026.

Conditions right now

Air temperature & conditions (nearest NWS station)Loading…
Fetching the latest National Weather Service observation…

Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (46.2799, -96.1010). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Otter Tail River Reservoir. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.

Sun, moon & best fishing times

Sun & moon at Otter Tail River Reservoir

Best fishing times

Major periodMinor periodDaylight

    Based on solunar theory, an estimate. Major periods (about 2 hours) center on when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot; minor periods (about 1 hour) center on moonrise and moonset. The 0–100 activity score rises during those periods and gets a boost near sunrise and sunset and around the new and full moon. Weather, water temperature and pressure often matter more. Sun and moon times are calculated in your browser from the lake's coordinates with standard astronomy formulas, shown in CT (America/Chicago), and accurate to within a few minutes.

    Non-native/invasive species

    Reported on or near Otter Tail River Reservoir

    Clean, Drain, Dry. Remove plants and mud, drain all water, and dry your boat, trailer and gear before moving to another water.

    USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database

    USGS records matched to this water by location (within about 150 m of the outline) or by the place name in the record. A record shows a sighting was reported; it doesn't prove the species is still there. As of Oct 10, 2026.

    Contact & official info

    Questions about Otter Tail River Reservoir

    How big is Otter Tail River Reservoir?

    Otter Tail River Reservoir covers about 46 acres in Fergus Falls, Minnesota (Otter Tail County).

    Are there campgrounds near Otter Tail River Reservoir?

    Yes. We list 5 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 1 of them within 5 miles.

    What towns are on Otter Tail River Reservoir?

    Otter Tail River Reservoir touches Fergus Falls in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.

    Share a tip or fishing report

    Know Otter Tail River Reservoir? Tell us about the launch, parking, where they're biting or anything a first-time visitor should know. Tips go privately to the LakeRipple editor; nothing is posted automatically. Helpful tips may be featured on this page (we'll use your first name only if you give one).

    Lakes & ponds nearby

    Straight-line distance between lake centers. All Minnesota lakes & ponds · All waters in Fergus Falls