Prairie

Prairie Lake is a 1,016-acre eutrophic (fertile) lake located in northwestern Otter Tail County. The city of Pelican Rapids, MN abuts the south shoreline of the lake. Prairie Lake is part of the Otter Tail River Watershed. The Pelican River inlet is located along the northeast shoreline while the outlet is located along the south shoreline. The immediate watershed is composed primarily of agricultural land interspersed with hardwood woodlots. The maximum depth of Prairie Lake is 22 feet; however, 79% of the lake is 15 feet or less in depth. Historical secchi disk readings have ranged from 4.0 to 12.5 feet. The north and east shorelines of Prairie Lake have been extensively developed. Homes and cottages compose the majority of the development. A DNR owned public water access is located off of State Highway 59 along the southeast shoreline of the lake. The shoal water substrates consist primarily of sand and gravel. Large stands of hardstem bulrush and common cattail are located along the south, west, and north shorelines. Emergent aquatic plants such as hardstem bulrush and cattail provide valuable fish and wildlife habitat, and are critical for maintaining good water quality. They protect shorelines and lake bottoms, and can absorb and break down polluting chemicals. Emergent plants provide spawning areas for fish such as Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, and panfish. They also serve as an important nursery area for all species of fish. Because of their ecological value, emergent plants may not be removed without a DNR permit. The Prairie Lake Outlet Dam was modified into a natural looking rock arch rapids in March, 2020. The project had multiple benefits including restoring historic fish passage in the Pelican River system, improving safety around the lake outlet, and providing an environmentally friendly permanent fix to an aging dam. There are approximately 29 species of fish that will benefit from river reconnection at this site. This project will reconnect over 21 miles of river within the Otter Tail Watershed. The lead sponsor for the project was the Pelican Group of Lakes Improvement District (PGOLID). The Prairie Lake Association also provided a letter of support for the project. Funding was provided through the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). A spring electrofishing survey was conducted to analyze the Largemouth Bass population. A moderate density Largemouth Bass population with an excellent size structure exists in Prairie Lake. Largemouth Bass ranged in length from 4.2 to 20.3 inches with an average length and weight of 13.8 inches and 1.7 pounds. Largemouth Bass attain an average length of 14.0 inches at five years of age. A reduced daily bag limit regulation for sunfish (10 per day) was implemented in 2021. The objective of the regulation is to improve and maintain the quality of the Sunfish size structure. Anglers can also maintain the quality of fishing in Prairie Lake by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest encourages the release of medium to large-size fish while allowing the harvest of 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. Prairie Lake was designated as infested with zebra mussels in 2009. 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.

Prairie Lake is a 1,016-acre eutrophic (fertile) lake located in northwestern Otter Tail County. The city of Pelican Rapids, MN abuts the south shoreline of the lake. Prairie Lake is part of the Otter Tail River Watershed. The Pelican River inlet is located along the northeast shoreline while the outlet is located along the south shoreline. The immediate watershed is composed primarily of agricultural land interspersed with hardwood woodlots. The maximum depth of Prairie Lake is 22 feet; however, 79% of the lake is 15 feet or less in depth. Historical secchi disk readings have ranged from 4.0 to 12.5 feet. The north and east shorelines of Prairie Lake have been extensively developed. Homes and cottages compose the majority of the development. A DNR owned public water access is located off of State Highway 59 along the southeast shoreline of the lake. The shoal water substrates consist primarily of sand and gravel. Large stands of hardstem bulrush and common cattail are located along the south, west, and north shorelines. Emergent aquatic plants such as hardstem bulrush and cattail provide valuable fish and wildlife habitat, and are critical for maintaining good water quality. They protect shorelines and lake bottoms, and can absorb and break down polluting chemicals. Emergent plants provide spawning areas for fish such as Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, and panfish. They also serve as an important nursery area for all species of fish. Because of their ecological value, emergent plants may not be removed without a DNR permit. The Prairie Lake Outlet Dam was modified into a natural looking rock arch rapids in March, 2020. The project had multiple benefits including restoring historic fish passage in the Pelican River system, improving safety around the lake outlet, and providing an environmentally friendly permanent fix to an aging dam. There are approximately 29 species of fish that will benefit from river reconnection at this site. This project will reconnect over 21 miles of river within the Otter Tail Watershed. The lead sponsor for the project was the Pelican Group of Lakes Improvement District (PGOLID). The Prairie Lake Association also provided a letter of support for the project. Funding was provided through the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). A reduced daily bag limit regulation for sunfish (10 per day) was implemented in 2021. The objective of the regulation is to improve and maintain the quality of the Sunfish size structure. A spring trap netting survey was conducted to analyze the Sunfish population. A high-density Sunfish population exists with 70% of the population 7.0 inches or greater in length. Sunfish attain an average length of 8.0 inches at seven years of age. Anglers can also maintain the quality of fishing in Prairie Lake by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest encourages the release of medium to large-size fish while allowing the harvest of 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. Prairie Lake was designated as infested with zebra mussels in 2009. 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.

Prairie Lake is a 1,016-acre eutrophic (fertile) lake located in northwestern Otter Tail County. The city of Pelican Rapids, MN abuts the south shoreline of the lake. Prairie Lake is part of the Otter Tail River Watershed. The Pelican River inlet is located along the northeast shoreline while the outlet is located along the south shoreline. The immediate watershed is composed primarily of agricultural land interspersed with hardwood woodlots. The maximum depth of Prairie Lake is 22 feet; however, 79% of the lake is 15 feet or less in depth. Historical secchi disk readings have ranged from 4.0 to 12.5 feet. The north and east shorelines of Prairie Lake have been extensively developed. Homes and cottages compose the majority of the development. A DNR owned public water access is located off of State Highway 59 along the southeast shoreline of the lake. The shoal water substrates consist primarily of sand and gravel. Large stands of hardstem bulrush and common cattail are located along the south, west, and north shorelines. Emergent aquatic plants such as hardstem bulrush and cattail provide valuable fish and wildlife habitat, and are critical for maintaining good water quality. They protect shorelines and lake bottoms, and can absorb and break down polluting chemicals. Emergent plants provide spawning areas for fish such as Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, and panfish. They also serve as an important nursery area for all species of fish. Because of their ecological value, emergent plants may not be removed without a DNR permit. The Prairie Lake Outlet Dam was modified into a natural looking rock arch rapids in March, 2020. The project had multiple benefits including restoring historic fish passage in the Pelican River system, improving safety around the lake outlet, and providing an environmentally friendly permanent fix to an aging dam. There are approximately 29 species of fish that will benefit from river reconnection at this site. This project will reconnect over 21 miles of river within the Otter Tail Watershed. The lead sponsor for the project was the Pelican Group of Lakes Improvement District (PGOLID). The Prairie Lake Association also provided a letter of support for the project. Funding was provided through the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). A reduced daily bag limit regulation for sunfish (10 per day) was implemented in 2021. The objective of the regulation is to improve and maintain the quality of the Bluegill size structure. A special spring trapnetting survey was conducted to collect baseline data on the Bluegill population, which will be used for regulation evaluation purposes in future surveys. The Bluegill population is abundant with a moderate quality size structure. Seventy percent of the Bluegill sample was 7.0 inches or greater in length, while 8% was 8.0 inches or greater in length. Age data indicate that Bluegill reproduction is consistently good. Bluegill growth rates are moderately fast with an average length of 8.0 inches at seven years of age. Anglers can also maintain the quality of fishing in Prairie Lake by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest encourages the release of medium to large-size fish while allowing the harvest of 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. Prairie Lake was designated as infested with zebra mussels in 2009. 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 Walleye, Largemouth Bass, Hybrid Sunfish, Northern Pike, and Black Crappie in Prairie. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

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

Prairie has a maximum depth of 22 feet and a mean depth of 10 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

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

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

Yes — the 2026 Minnesota DNR regulations list 1 special rule for Prairie, covering sunfish. Special regulations override the statewide limits; see the fishing regulations section on this page. Verify current rules with the Minnesota DNR before keeping fish.