Potato Lake

How big is Potato Lake?

How deep is Potato Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Potato Lake?

What are the closest cities to Potato Lake?

Are there topographical lake maps available Potato Lake?

We have an topograpical map for online viewing near the top of this page. Lake-Link Pro users can download an print a topograpical map of Potato Lake (.pdf format) along with 2,700 more lake maps. For more information on all the benefits of Lake-Link Pro click here.

Potato Lake (East)

Potato Lake (West)

Are there boat launches on Potato Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Potato Lake?

Potato Lake is located seven miles north of Park Rapids in Hubbard County. Potato Lake has a surface area of 2,096 acres and a maximum depth of 87 feet. A state-owned public access is located on the north shore and a county-owned access is located on the west "arm" of the lake. Boating access with small craft is also available from the inlet river connecting to Eagle Lake. There is a fixed crest dam at the outlet that prevents boat travel downstream. The fixed crest dam was installed in 2004 and the design allows for fish passage. Potato Lake is a very popular fishing lake in the Park Rapids area. Potato Lake is well known for its Walleye population, but also provides angling opportunities for Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass and Largemouth Bass.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different types based on physical, chemical, and other characteristics. Potato Lake is in class 22. Other class 22 lakes in the Park Rapids management area include: Big Sand, Lower Bottle, Kabekona, and Long.

Walleye abundance was down slightly from recent surveys and below the current management goal. Walleye abundance since the early 1980's has been steady, with gill net catch rates fluctuating within the range for similar type lakes and around the management goal. Good numbers of walleye in the 14-18 inch size range were sampled, with fish measured up to 28.8 inches. Yellow Perch, an important forage species for Walleye, were sampled in low numbers. Yellow Perch abundance has been low since the 2010 survey. Sampled Yellow Perch had an average length 6.6 inches with fish measured up to 9.8 inches.

Northern Pike abundance was up from recent surveys and above the range for similar type lakes. Northern Pike numbers have been high in Potato Lake since the 1998 survey. Northern Pike abundance fluctuated from low to moderate numbers in earlier surveys. Sampled Northern Pike had an average length and weight of 21.0 inches and 2.1 pounds, with pike measured up to 35.5 inches.

Potato Lake supports both a Smallmouth Bass and Largemouth Bass fishery. Smallmouth Bass are abundant in the rock and gravel bars of the main basin, while Largemouth Bass are less abundant, and are found in the bulrush stands and submerged aquatic vegetation beds of the west and east "arms". Good numbers of larger bass (> 15.0 inches) of both species were sampled compared to other area lakes. Smallmouth Bass up to 19.2 inches and Largemouth Bass up to 19.9 inches were sampled.

Other species sampled include Black Crappie, Bluegill, Rock Bass, Tullibee (Cisco), White Sucker, Shorthead Redhorse, and Yellow and Brown Bullhead.

Currently, no Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) have been identified in Potato Lake. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boats before leaving the access.

What is the average air temp for Potato Lake?

Are there any state parks near Potato Lake?