South Turtle Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota
Today's Fishing Forecast
Fishing looks to be extremely active with peak fishing times around 7-8 AM and 3-5 PM. SEE MORE
Share your catch!
We want to see what you've caught on South Turtle Lake.Frequently Asked Questions About South Turtle Lake, MN
- How big is South Turtle Lake?
- How deep is South Turtle Lake?
- What kind of fish can you catch in South Turtle Lake?
- Are there fishing guides or charters for South Turtle Lake?
- What are the closest cities to South Turtle Lake?
- Are there places to stay in the South Turtle Lake area?
- Are there boat launches on South Turtle Lake?
- Are there places to eat and drink near South Turtle Lake?
- What is the average air temp for South Turtle Lake?
- Are there any state parks near South Turtle Lake?
How big is South Turtle Lake?
How deep is South Turtle Lake?
What kind of fish can you catch in South Turtle Lake?
Other fish species in the lake include Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Bluntnose Minnow, Emerald Shiner, Golden Shiner, Green Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish, Iowa Darter, Johnny Darter, Shorthead Redhorse, Spottail Shiner and White Sucker.
Are there fishing guides or charters for South Turtle Lake?
What are the closest cities to South Turtle Lake?
Are there places to stay in the South Turtle Lake area?
More Lodging Options
Are there boat launches on South Turtle Lake?
Are there places to eat and drink near South Turtle Lake?
Explore the South Turtle Lake area in a RV
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History & Status of the Fishery
A targeted survey of the nearshore fish community in South Turtle Lake was conducted by Fisheries Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff starting July 24, 2018 on South Turtle Lake. Fourteen sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 15-foot or 50-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all 14 sites with five sites sampled from the boat. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample six sites, a 15-foot seine was used at three sites, and soft sediments with abundant vegetation and deep water prevented the use of seines at five sampling site. Nearshore sampling captured 17 native species of fish including five species that are intolerant of disturbance (Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Pugnose Shiner) and 1 species that is tolerant of disturbance (Green Sunfish).
Data from this targeted nearshore survey is combined with trap net and gill net data from an August 2017 standard survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based Index of Biological Integrity (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. 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. The FIBI score for South Turtle Lake from this survey is just below an impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website.
Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Pomme de Terre River Watershed assessment of surface waters process completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.
What is the average air temp for South Turtle Lake?
Are there any state parks near South Turtle Lake?
For more Minnesota State Park information see our State Park Guide.
More Nearby Lakes To Explore
There's more lake's to explore around South Turtle Lake...| DISTANCE | ACRES | MAX DEPTH | |
| Unnamed Lake | 1.3 mi | 27 | |
| Unnamed Lake | 1.4 mi | 32 | |
| Fiske Lake | 1.5 mi | 254 | 26 ft |
| Unnamed Lake | 1.5 mi | 17 | |
| Unnamed Lake | 2.1 mi | 42 | |
| North Turtle Lake | 2.2 mi | 1,773 | 19 ft |
| Unnamed Lake | 2.3 mi | 10 | |
| Elbow Lake | 2.3 mi | 188 | 46 ft |
| German Lake | 2.8 mi | 77 | 46 ft |
| Unnamed Lake | 2.8 mi | 44 |
