Minnesota · Otter Tail County

Marion Lake Fishing guide

Marion Lake sits in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, and covers 1,624 acres, reaching 62 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 12.1 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 12 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.

Open the live map → Survey data

Depth to 62 ft · top 5 summer marks

Surface1,624 ac

Max depth62 ft

Clarity12.1 ft

Littoral42%

Surveyed2025

How to fish Marion Lake through the year

Walleye

Spring: Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 12.1 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
Early summer: Walleye are setting up on the outside weed edge, points and shallow structure.
Summer: Walleye are working the weed edge, points and any wind-blown structure. On a lake that drops to 62 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
Fall: Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.

Northern pike

Spring: Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 12.1 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
Early summer: Pike are on the outside weed edge and points.
Summer: Pike are on the deep weed edge and points near the coolest water they can find. On a lake that drops to 62 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
Fall: Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.

Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.

Size history

Biggest fish by survey year

Survey year	Walleye	Northern pike	Largemouth bass
2025	27"	34"	19"
2021	25"	32"	16"
2016	26"	27"	15"
2012	28"	32"	16"
2009	26"	32"	17"
2006	28"	35"	15"
2003	26"	34"	15"
2000	27"	32"	15"

Longest fish measured by DNR survey crews in each year's nets. Survey gear samples the population, so the lake usually holds larger fish than any survey measured.

Suggested tackle

What to bring

Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:

Walleye · Live bait

Live-Bait (Lindy) Rig + Leech/Crawler

jumbo leech or half a nightcrawler

8–35 ftslow

Shop octopus hooks →

Walleye · Trolling

Leadcore Line + Crankbaits

4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run

15–45 fttrolling

Shop deep-diving crankbaits →

Northern pike · Soft plastics

Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead

4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead

3–25 ftmoderate

Shop paddletail swimbaits →

Northern pike · Muskie & pike

Soft Rubber (Bull Dawg / Medusa)

10" soft rubber body bait

3–25 ftslow

Shop musky rubber →

Largemouth bass · Soft plastics

Texas-Rigged Worm

7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm

1–25 ftdead slow

Shop plastic worms →

Largemouth bass · Soft plastics

Free Rig

Creature bait or magnum finesse worm

8–30 ftdead slowweedless

Shop creature baits →

Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

DNR stocking records

Stocking history

Year	Species	Stocked
2025	Walleye	100 fingerlings · 1,366 yearlings · 598 adults
2023	Walleye	25,640 fingerlings
2021	Walleye	21,041 fingerlings
2019	Walleye	43,234 fingerlings · 53 adults
2018	Walleye	11,397 yearlings · 1,152 adults
2017	Walleye	84 yearlings · 322 adults
2016	Walleye	760 adults

MN DNR · in their words

From the 2025 survey

Marion Lake is a 1,664-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in north-central Otter Tail County approximately four miles southwest of Perham, MN. Marion Lake is included in the Otter Tail River Watershed. The immediate watershed is primarily composed of agricultural land interspersed with hardwood woodlots. The lake is composed of two basins which are separated by a shallow peninsula. Boats can navigate between the basins using a narrow channel along the north shore. The west basin has a maximum depth of 30 feet while the east basin has a maximum depth of 62 feet. Forty-one percent of the total lake area is 15 feet or less in depth. The secchi disk reading was 13.1 feet. Historical secchi disk readings have ranged from 9.0 to 15.0 feet.

A majority of the shoreline of Marion Lake has been extensively developed. Homes, cottages, and resorts compose the development. A state-owned concrete public water access is located along the southeast shoreline of the lake. Shoal water substrates consist primarily of sand interspersed with areas of gravel and rubble. Stands of emergent vegetation (hardstem bulrush, common cattail, and wild rice) are located in various areas throughout the lake. Emergent plants are important because they provide valuable fish and wildlife habitat and are critical for maintaining good water quality. They protect shorelines and lake bottoms, and can absorb and breakdown polluting chemicals. Emergent plants provide spawning areas for fish such as 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. To maintain the excellent water quality and angling that this lake has to offer, it is imperative to preserve the quality of the aquatic habitat.

Read the full DNR narrative

Marion Lake can be ecologically classified as a Walleye-Bass-Panfish type of lake and this is reflected in the assemblage of the fish community. Walleye, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, and Bluegill are the dominant gamefish species.

Walleye abundance has declined over the recent series of surveys. Walleyes ranged in length from 8.7 to 26.2 inches with an average length and weight of 15.2 inches and 1.5 pounds. Walleyes attain an average length of 14.1 inches at four years of age. The Walleye population is sustained predominantly by fingerling stocking.

Northern Pike abundance has remained stable and pike reproduction is consistently good. Pike ranged in length from 16.1 to 34.8 inches with an average length and weight of 21.4 inches and 2.4 pounds. Northern Pike growth rates are very fast with an average length of 28.2 inches at five years of age.

An extremely abundant Largemouth Bass population exists. Age data indicate that Largemouth Bass reproduction occurs at a consistently high level. Largemouth Bass ranged in length from 6.1 to 19.6 inches. Bass growth is slow with an average length of 12.9 inches at five years of age.

Catch and length data indicate that Bluegills are very abundant and possess an excellent size structure. Sixty-one percent of the Bluegills were 7.0 inches or greater in length, while 27% were 8.0 inches or greater in length. Bluegills attain an average length of 7.6 inches at eight years of age.

There are no special or experimental fish harvest regulations in effect for Marion Lake. Anglers can maintain the quality of angling by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest encourages the release of medium to large 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.

Marion Lake was listed as infested with zebra mussels in 2024. Aquatic invasive species are threatening Minnesota waters. The non-native 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.

Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.

Recent reports

Marion Lake fishing reports

Recent reports on Marion Lake from guides, tournaments and regular anglers. Anything posted in the last two weeks also bumps the matching spots on the live map, so you'll see a "matches a recent report" tag on them.

Open the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report

Otter Tail County reports

Public water access

Getting on the water

Marion Lake (trailer launch)

DNR bathymetry

Marion Lake depth map

Marion Lake depth contour map, Otter Tail County, Minnesota — Depth contours to 62 ft from Minnesota DNR bathymetry, free to save or print. The live map adds ranked spots and conditions on the same contours.

Within 30 miles

Nearby lakes

Boedigheimer Lake · 169 ac · 3.1 mi
Round Lake · 273 ac · 4.4 mi
Paul Lake · 347 ac · 5.1 mi
Dead Lake · 7,546 ac · 5.5 mi
McDonald Lake · 561 ac · 5.6 mi
Little McDonald Lake · 1,316 ac · 6.1 mi
Walker Lake · 579 ac · 6.5 mi
Big McDonald Lake · 992 ac · 6.5 mi

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

How deep is Marion Lake?

Marion Lake reaches 62 ft at its deepest point; about 42% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).

How big is Marion Lake?

Marion Lake covers 1,624 acres with about 9.1 miles of shoreline.

How clear is the water in Marion Lake?

DNR Secchi readings on Marion Lake average 12.1 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.

What fish are in Marion Lake?

Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.

Is Marion Lake stocked?

Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.

Does Marion Lake have a public access?

Yes. Marion Lake has one public access site: Marion Lake (trailer launch).

How big do walleye get in Marion Lake?

The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 27"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2000.

When was Marion Lake last surveyed?

The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Marion Lake in 2025, the most recent of 12 surveys on record.

Page updated September 22, 2026.

The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Marion Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:

Open Marion Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report